


Beastly Call

by TCon



Series: The Call of the Beasts [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Anal Sex, Crime, F/M, Gen, Horny Teenagers, Loss of Virginity, Love Bites, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Sex Pistols Universe, Social Issues, Suspense, Threats of Violence, mention of MPREG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-02-22 07:40:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 238,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2499935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TCon/pseuds/TCon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You mean," Kuroko started. "You'd be my Heat Partner?" He didn't expect Kagami to explode into a myriad of different shades of red more impressive than his own hair. </p><p>"Y — yeah tha's what I'm sayin'!" for some reasons he lapsed into english with an odd accent.</p><p>KagaKuro Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics & Sex Pistols AU - Fusion</p><p>(( currently under editing and proofing ))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Late Bloomer

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Wezwanie Bestii](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5576332) by [Eldaina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eldaina/pseuds/Eldaina)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATED: This Chapter is proof-read by IAmTheAnon! (^w^)
> 
> A/N: The universe of Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics seem to be a LOT of fun, so I wanted to try it with KuroBasu fandom. Usually, the Dynamics work on an alternate universe in which Werewolves are merged into human society. But in this AU, I think it suits better to adopt the Universe of Madararui from the manga Sex Pistols, which makes this fic a cross-over. If you haven't read it, it's basically Alpha/Beta/Omega with slightly different dynamics, instead it is Heavy/Middle/Light Seeds, which theoretically mirrors similar rules. Except they're less about packs and/or dom-sub relationship between the higher and lower classes and a degree more civilised (although still leaning to their animal instincts such as scenting), and has no means to 'infecting' others as they were born as they are (they are humans who evolved from animals that aren't primates and able to shape shift into animal forms). They are also in fact, has more variety in the species categorisation. Such as werecats, weredogs, werereptiles, etc. I won't closely adopt the Madararui universe from a to z, however. For more information, I suggest reading the manga.

**Weremanity Glossary**

Heavy Seed/Alpha: Werepeople whose 'true forms' are animals at the top of the food chain pyramid, mostly big carnivorous animals such as Leopard, Grizzly Bears, Wolves, Boas, etc. Possessing very strong pheromones and even capable of supernatural powers, but has low birth/fertility rate. Their numbers are few, but greatly admired by the rest of the weremanity as the alphas. Their status and wealth are those of the rich and famous. Two Heavy Seeds may mate, but the chances of producing children are slim, thus they are recommended to mate outside of their class.

Middle Seed/Beta: Werepeople whose 'true forms' are animals on the middle grounds of the pyramid, consisting of mostly big herbivores and smaller carnivores, such as middle-sized dogs, wild cats, etc. They are below Heavy Seed in strength and has no supernatural powers. They are, often mated to Heavy Seeds for their average fertility rate, should they wish to breed more Heavy Seeds, though it has higher chances of producing Middle Seeds. A lot of the Middle Seeds families are wealthy, although not as much and never as powerful as the Heavy Seeds.

Light Seed/Omega: the "Average Joes" of the society, Light Seeds' true forms are animals belonging to the bottom levels of the food chain, sometimes of the domesticated variety. Light Seeds neither possess strength or wealth as the classes above them, but compensated by having high fertility rate, even with the males. They are often underestimated, but their numbers cover most of the werepeople population - save for the primates. Dogs are known as the most common variety of Light Seeds.

Primates: the normal "humans" evolved from primates, who cannot shape shift into their animal forms. They are also unable to acknowledge the rest of the weremanity species as the Primates are self-absorbed and ignorant, the principles of "don't see, don't hear, don't speak" are encoded into their genes, thus they deliberately ignore all things concerning the other species even if it's thrown to their faces. They possess the largest number in the weremanity population (up to 70%) with high level of fertility. The other species envy this advantage, but refrain from associating with the Primates, especially when it comes to mating, as children from such reunions almost always result in Primates.

Parasites: These are non-lethal parasites used to create temporary womb within male bodies in order to procreate by inserting it in the anus. High-quality parasites are expensive and hard to come by, often exclusive to Middle and Heavy Seeds. This invention was created through hard labour to compensate the werepeople's dwindling birth rates and fertility, thus homosexuality and promiscuity in general are acceptable among the werepeople so long as they continue to procreate. Incest is, however, forbidden.

—

And yes, this is still about Highschool Basketball. Until plot happens.

The setting starts after Seirin won the Winter Cup.

*also may or may not have guest appearances of other anime characters* *smacked*

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 1: Late Bloomer

—

In Basketball, things like Heavy Seeds, Middle Seeds or Light Seeds classes did not matter.

Kuroko might never be as powerful and swift as a panther like Aomine, as versatile and witty as a wolf like Kise, or as devoted to incredible precision as a cheetah like Midorima. He did not have the natural freak mutation of a grizzly like Murasakibara, or a lion's charismatic superiority like Akashi. But Kuroko, a Light Seed among these purebred Heavy Seeds, an Omega in a pack of Alphas, was the one they all came to respect, despite his meagre talent, low physical abilities and lack of presence.

His Basketball knew no boundaries of the Seeds classes, and he was proud of it.

To be a shadow; the supporting character in the sidelines who would never be the star actor, would never have the spotlight trained on him. Yet he was the one person who could change the tone of the game in mere minutes. He made use of what little his animal advantages could give him, obsessively tuned his Misdirection and passes, and led them to victory. He, a Light Seed. Weak, small and underestimated as he was, the bottom of the pyramid, Kuroko Tetsuya was Teikou's Generation of Miracles' Phantom Sixth Man.

And yet even that, paled in comparison before those Heavy Seeds' monstrous talents.

The more they grew their natural abilities, the less they believed in Kuroko's. In the end, they hardly needed him to win the games. After Aomine's skills bloomed; the Panther in him blossomed to full-fledged predatory on the court and Kise's wit and physical abilities developed beyond that of Kuroko's, then the rest follows. They didn't need a Light Seed's tricks, not anymore. The differences between their natural advantages as Heavy Seeds and his own limited Light Seeds' potentials were too great.

Much like his presence, Kuroko faded into obscurity once again.

In his need to prove himself — his Basketball, he enrolled to Seirin.

He met another Basketball-obsessed Heavy Seed with freak potentials who disturbingly reminded him of the old Aomine — the one who was his best friend, not the wild predator he became. A Heavy Seed Tiger, he observed. Yet … Kagami Taiga was different. The moment he saw Kagami, he emitted a strong, masculine scent made too obvious by the sweat on his back as he played the ball. Kuroko's nostrils had flared instantaneously.

His mind screamed. His skin pricked from the insides and he felt his blood boiled beneath a layer of thin, pale skin. The way Kagami smelled was infinitely different than the way Aomine did — as he should, they were different people despite being in the same feline family — but something about Kagami's stirred a wild sort of cyclone of emotions within him that Kuroko did not expect to be capable of. He was able to maintain a calm facade as he had trained to do so in order to maximise his Misdirection, but he could not understand nor explain why exactly he felt that way.

He later thought, it might be because he felt Kagami had the potential to beat the Generation of Miracles — maybe it was his instincts alarmed by Kagami's natural talents.

Time skipped, despite their failure in the Interhigh preliminaries — he was proven right; Kagami and the Seirin team were able to defeat every GoM challenge presented to them and they won the Winter Cup, despite all odds. Kuroko's own Basketball was proven and had blossomed beyond everyone's expectations. His Misdirection had suffered along the way, but Kuroko was confident he could come up with another strategy to remedy it.

After the Winter Cup, however, there was one aspect that had changed.

It was December and everyone in school was having their Winter break, except the Seirin Basketball Club, who could hardly catch a break with a coach like Riko. They still had to come to school for practice five times a week — despite having just won the Winter Cup — which was more than enough incentive for the female student coach to get fired up with even crazier training menus.

One day, it had gone as usual by the end of a day's training — Kuroko having vomited twice and promptly passed out on the floor halfway through the training — he, Kagami and the rest of the First Years were the last to stay because they were tasked with cleaning up. The Second Years seniors had gone to the showers, some had left early, bidding them goodbye. Furihata, Kawahara and Fukuda were in charge of sweeping the sweat and dirt off the floor, while Kagami and Kuroko were in charge of taking the balls and equipments back to the storage.

It started when Kagami and Kuroko entered the storage pushing the ball cart. The immediate smell of dusts and unpleasantness filling the tiny space attacked Kuroko's nostrils. He was busy coughing and rubbing his eyes that he missed the strange look Kagami shot him, nor did he see the flash of wildness that stayed in those red eyes.

"Kuroko…"

Tetsuya had heard him stutter in uncertainty. Kuroko made a noncommittal sound, of "hmm?"

A gulp.

"You… you  _smelled_."

Kuroko's hands stilled. He shot Kagami a look of mild annoyance.

"Why thank you, for stating the obvious, Kagami-kun. We did just finish up a day's worth of training after all. I am very much soaked in sweat at the moment. I am aware that sweat does, in fact, have a smell." He said in dismissal, then decided to ignore Kagami and finish up soon so he could get a vanilla shake for dinner.

"No, dammit. It's - it's different!" Kagami sounded frustrated. It was strange, given the meagre circumstances. Kuroko turned to give him a questioning look. He cocked an eyebrow up when he saw a flush gracing the tiger's face.

The Heavy Seed's mouth seemed to run at a speed that Kuroko could barely comprehend.

"You  _smelled_! You do realise — as much as I think it's fucking freaky and abnormal but I thought maybe it's because of your special ability and all with what the weak presence and your way of doing basketball. And I didn't ask 'coz it's useful in the court, even though it bothers me — but the point is —  _you didn't actually have a scent before_!" Kagami ran a hand over his hair, eyes darting away. Still flushed. He started to radiate a heat kind of scent that jerked Kuroko's attention.

But he somehow managed to redirect Kagami's own scent in favour of curiosity of what he just said.

"What do you mean by me having, and not having a scent?" He cocked his head to one side, still didn't understand the implication.

No reply.

No explanation came up. Or even a sound from the other man.

"Kagami-kun? Are you alright?"

Kagami's flush seemed to worsen. Kuroko almost thought he might have caught a cold — even though they said idiots didn't catch colds — he felt worry began to rise up his guts as Kagami radiated heat like a furnace. He resisted the sudden urge to seek comfy warmth against a sick person even if it was so cold around this time of the year, maybe Riko's demonic training had finally wore him down?

Decided it was best to examine his teammate's condition first, Kuroko took two steps forward and pressed a pale palm against Kagami's forehead. Whoa, he did feel like a furnace, he was burning! Kagami stiffened at the touch. When Kuroko was about to mention this, his senses were suddenly overwhelmed by Kagami's scents. The thick scent crept up his nostrils and he didn't know how it had inexplicably rose a reaction out of him. A strange sort of reaction. A heady swirl within his tummy. His mind seemed to drift off slightly.

It grew stronger with the close proximity. But it was… not unpleasant.

Kuroko began to lean a bit into the scent, he felt a comfortable lull about it, attractive… and strange. A giddying kind of strange. He breathed in the scent deeply, closing his eyes. A second later, he heard a hitch of breath drawn sharply from above him and he was suddenly shoved away by the shoulders. His eyes flared open in confusion and Kagami was staring at him, hands gripping tightly at his shoulders and his eyes —

His eyes were wild.

He was staring — no, glaring — at Kuroko.

Burning and intense, like a predator looking at a prey. He no longer looked flustered and the blush melted off his face. His breath stilled. Kagami's aura swayed and loomed over him, forming the beastly Tiger that Kagami was. And for a moment Kuroko felt he was about to be eaten alive. Reminded of how he felt when he was facing Heavy Seeds like Aomine or Murasakibara face to face in the court, their killing intent forcing him to submission. He felt his breath hitched, a Light Seed cowering beneath the stare of a powerful alpha. A cornered prey.

He swallowed.

But few seconds after a heavy silence, Kagami loosened his grip. He looked away, seeming guilty.

Then he withdrew his hands completely.

"S - sorry." He heard Kagami said. "I… I didn't know what came to me. For a second I thought — " His eyes darted towards Kuroko again.

Then he sniffed the air around Kuroko, looking very unsure.

A look of realisation hit him. "Oh," He muttered, more to himself. "Ah, I guess I was wrong."

"Wrong,"

Kuroko repeated incredulously.

"Yeah, sorry dude. My bad." Kagami looked sheepish.

Kuroko didn't even get what just happened. Or what was wrong exactly.

Kagami suddenly said something about scents then he flustered, shoved Kuroko when he came to inspect the change in complexion, he stared him down like some vermin and then admitted he was wrong.

That  _totally_  made sense.

And that was the first time the issue with Kuroko's scents came up.

Kawahara and Fukuda were Primates, but Furihata — who was a Shibainu Light Seed — was the second one to mention anything about Kuroko's apparently peculiar scent.

"Whoa, Kuroko," he had said one day at the locker room after a day's training — Kagami at that time was away on permission to meet his parents — he had a strange look on his face when he looked at Kuroko.

"You smell different!"

 _This again?_  Kuroko rolled his eyes inwardly.

At least Furihata didn't look like he was about to glare the shit out of Kuroko.

"Why, Furihata-kun. How do I smell like?" The question wasn't really meant as a question. He just said it because it seemed polite to react to that claim.

"Hmmm," Furihata leaned in to sniff Kuroko, but not so close as to warrant a Stalker restraining order. "I dunno, it smells kinda faint… but it's really, really nice… Did you wear cologne?" He had a heady sort of look on his face, entranced.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow. He never wore cologne.

Then Kawahara and Fukuda suddenly jumped into the conversation.

"Whaaaatt? What's going on? How's Kuroko smell like?" They tried sniffing like Furihata did, flinched at how sweaty and stuffy Kuroko smelled instead.

"Ugh! Manly sweat! The hell are you talking about, Furi?"

The subject of Kuroko's scent was then casually dropped amidst the joking trio.

—

After that, they were given break from the team training, to celebrate Christmas and New Years. Coach Riko and the Captain arranged a party for Christmas at Kagami's place, followed by a temple outing for the New Years, which most of the team agreed to (except Tsuchida who was going to spend Christmas with his girlfriend). Kagami grudgingly agreed for the use of his house and in charge of the cooking as well (after everyone pretty much begged him to save them from Riko's cooking).

Kuroko mostly stayed at home during the break, occasionally going for a jog or play a little basketball at the neighbourhood court — but it got too cold he couldn't afford to play outside for too long. He usually spent most of his time with Kagami — he realised — that it was sort of weird that he didn't have anything else to do. Kagami was away for a week or so to spend time with his parents in America, the others probably had their own plans too. So until the Christmas party, he thought he'd catch up with some reading and maybe walked Nigou around the neighbourhood later. He'd abandoned this hobby for quite a while.

As he browsed through his bookshelves idly, when a book fell to the floor with a thud.

He bent his knees to pick up the book, reading the title, "Understanding the Beastly Call: A Weremanity Guide Book."

Kuroko paused.

He seemed to forget this book existed.

Tetsuya wasn't a Primate, but he was never interested in the business of Seeds classes or the werepeople society in general. He was raised by Primate parents and grew up in a community with mostly Primates, went to a completely ordinary Elementary School which again, sparsely had students of other species. Only when he entered Teikou, did he started to integrate into their society, having a whooping 75% of the students being werepeople consisting of mostly Middle and Heavy Seeds.

Even then, his main focus had always been Basketball. He lacked the common sense of a wereperson.

His grandmother was a wereperson married to a Primate. She was the only one in the family to ever tell him anything about them. Most of his knowledge about the werepeople came from her — which wasn't much, as he wasn't raised with a need to know more — nor had he an interest for it. He remembered the time when it became apparent that he wasn't a Primate like his parents were, he was around six years old.

And the first to discover it was his grandmother, she started to spend more time with him since, teaching him the basics of how to become a wereperson — how to control his 'true form', how to hide his aura, how to use his instincts and especially — how to become invisible.

 _"You must never let others know of your true form."_  She used to warn him for the umpteenth time. _"You must learn how to disguise yourself. Exposing your true form is the same as being in the nude, you're vulnerable."_

Later on, he later learnt that indeed, exposing your true form was quite literarily, the same as being naked, despite the fur and all. Others managed to use it for intimidation though, Kuroko couldn't really tell the difference.

Not that he could do any intimidation like Kagami and Aomine did, he was just a Light Seed. He would be lucky if he could intimidate a cat.

He always thought how unfair it was for Seeds heavier than his had the advantages to physical abilities and natural talent at sport. After 3 years in Teikou, surrounded by various Seeds classes, however, he came to understand how their personalities coincide with their true animal forms. For example, Aomine was slick and powerful, wild in his way of playing basketball with reliable instincts, like his Panther counterpart. And the way he grew more aggressive and predatory spoke of his lineage too.

How clever and quickly Kise could learn his opponents' moves, his cunning hidden beneath a 'winning' personality, the cleverness and versatility befitting a Wolf. How Midorima obsessed over precision, critically specialised in shooting perfect shots as if he evolved into the role, like a Cheetah. Even Murasakibara's laziness could be chalked into a Bear's habit to stock feed and hibernate as well… Kuroko didn't need to start describing how perfectly fit Akashi's true form with Akashi's own personality.

And Kuroko…. was just Kuroko.

He actually never really thought of himself as part of the werepeople. His severe lack of knowledge about them was made obvious when certain issues other than Basketball came up.

Such as scents.

Kuroko had the keen senses of the average werepeople, he could distinct each person's unique scent but chose not to dwell too much about it. After all it never had any use in studying or basketball (especially since everyone's scents got mixed up whilst playing basketball, it was best to learn how to block them). When people talked about scents, he paid no heed of it either. Although, when Kagami first told him that he was scentless, he had been shocked.

Was that how he appeared to other people? No wonder people never seemed to notice his presence.

_"Kuroko… You… you smelled."_

That was what Kagami told him last time though.

Kuroko pulled up his arm to his nose and sniffed.

Yeah, that didn't work. He couldn't really tell.

He wondered if the other werepeople could smell their own scents. He couldn't ask his grandmother anymore because she died last year, before he entered Seirin. Maybe… he should ask about it to someone else.

—

The Christmas party and the New Years' temple outing went without a hitch. Kagami never acted off anymore and the subject of scents didn't come up, completely forgotten. School started and the rest of the team began their intense practice again for the next championship, Riko's father dropped by once in a while to tighten up the already too-tight-and-about-to-snap training menus. Although after that they did get some nice aftercare massages to avoid muscle damages.

When the examination week was rapidly approaching, they started having study groups to help with Kagami's hopelessly atrocious grades, the seniors were more than eager to beat him if necessary. Soon, the seasons changed. The crisp cold slowly melted away as green grass began sprouting in place of the white blanket of snow that covered the ground, the temperature warmed up considerably, although it was still too cold to play basketball outside.

With the Spring season closing by, another peculiar subject arose.

"It's Spring, huh… it's 'that' time around again." Furihata blurted dreamily at one of the study sessions.

Kuroko looked up from his notebook and gave him a puzzled expression. Kagami seemed bent on passing out on the table, or pretending to anyway. He'd get three slaps of the punishment ruler later, Kuroko mentally noted. Fukuda also looked up at Furihata.

"What do you mean 'that', Furihata-kun?"

Furihata inexplicably exploded in red.

"You know,  _that_!" He flustered — much to Kuroko's confusion. The blush dissipated slightly after a second, deciding it was alright to talk about it in a room full of boys anyway. "You know…  _Heat Week_? In like, few weeks or so? Like… uh, you know." He uttered, almost in a whisper.

It clicked.

" _Oh_ ,"

Fukuda's Primate brain skipped that information and he continued solving problem no. 4, groaning into his notebook.

Right. The Heat Week. The twice a year annual event when everyone (werepeople, not Primates) decided to lock themselves somewhere for a week until their uncontrollable primal urges to procreate ran out.

 _That_.

Kuroko shifted in his seat uncomfortably, which went unnoticed by Furihata.

"Well, I have no girlfriend… so no luck this Spring either." Furihata sighed mournfully. "I mean, it must be great to have a partner to spend the Heat Week with. I never even had my first kiss yet — how can I even — Err." He cleared his throat as the blush reached to the tips of his ears.

"You catch my drift?"

Kuroko really didn't.

"Yes, Furihata-kun."

He humoured him anyway.

Fukuda was trying to solve a math problem. Kagami had woken up somewhere along the line as Furihata lamented his Heat Week woes, lazily observing them instead.

"Kuroko, are you going to spend it with Touou's manager? I'm so jealous." Furihata said as Kuroko plotted how to get away from this particularly uncomfortable subject.

"Momoi-san and I are not… like that."

He decided it was best not too say too much.

Furihata gave him an incredulous look. "Really? Even though she always said she's your girlfriend?"

"She is rather persistent, however we are just friends."

"Hmmm. Does it matter though? You can just have fun with it. It's just a week."

Werepeople's take on promiscuity. Right.

"I do not wish to impose. Furihata-kun." Kuroko replied shortly, eager to divert the topic to something else.

Furihata seemed to regard his reply into another take.

"Oh," he looked like something clicked in his head, "Oh I get it, you're the type who mates for life, right? That's cool. I'd like that too." He grinned sheepishly, eyes slipping into slits as he blushed.

Well it wasn't exactly correct, but not incorrect either. He'd let it go at that.

"So what about you Kagami?" He suddenly turned to the quiet redhead. "You have someone to spend it with right? I mean, you're so popular now after we won the Winter Cup. I saw a cute girl confessing to you the other day!"

Well, that was news. Kuroko didn't know that. But at least the topic had moved on from his general direction.

Kagami made a noncommittal noise instead of a proper reply.

"Whoa,  _you do_? Who? Do I know her?" Furihata leaped in excitement, knocking a few of Fukuda's books off the short table, earning protests

Kuroko stared interestedly at Kagami, waiting for his reaction.

Kagami grunted, looking disinterested.

"My parents … last time I met them, gave me some proposals… there's been mating offers. Or somethin'. It's nothing huge." He darted his eyes everywhere but at Kuroko. The latter's eyes widened slightly.

Mating offers.

Kuroko had heard it before. Similar to sperm donor for the Primates, but less clinical. Theoretically, because of werepeople's low fertility level, it was highly recommended to actually mate physically — have sex — in order to ensure conception, as it has significantly higher chances for the seeds to attach through the act of knotting at the peak of the mating climax. The Heat Seasons especially, were the prime time to conceive children, as it was the moment when the werepeople's fertility level reached its peak, before dwindling the following days.

He heard hiring a Mating Donor was ridiculously expensive, especially Heavy Seeds Donors — how much did it cost to hire Kagami?

Alright, that was… weird. He did not want to know how it worked; he'd read it from the book he found weeks ago. But he couldn't help but to feel curious… and slightly apprehensive. Kuroko didn't know why.

"Whoa.  _Whoa_ , that… is awesome. You're only sixteen and you already got offers? Man, Heavy Seeds are so different from us." Furihata exclaimed in disbelief, staring at Kagami in awe. "Are you going to accept?"

Kagami suddenly locked eyes with Kuroko. And he kept staring as he spoke again.

"I don't know … I think I'm going to refuse them."

Kuroko was unsure why he felt the need to gulp deeply.

"Huh, why? Such a shame!"

Kagami's gaze fell and he sighed exasperatedly. " 'Coz I'm only sixteen, idiot! Who wants to have kids at this age?"

Actually, sixteen was just barely the permitted age for Mating Donor. The society encouraged the werepeople to breed young, to increase chances of producing more werepeople children because there were so few of them. But Kuroko guessed it made sense in general. He couldn't imagine having kids at sixteen either.

Werepeople's society was complex and fairly different from Primate's. Especially in the aspect of romantic relationships or having families, they were much more open. He'd known people who were half-siblings, their parents weren't married, yet they treated each other like families. Some prefer to mate for life due to the influence of their true form, but others were not as loyal. This clash in culture confused Kuroko at times, as he'd been raised with Primates' moral values.

The conversation went on normally, still straggling around the subject of the Heat Week, which Furihata was intent on discussing. Kuroko stayed silent most of the time, though, knowing he had nothing to offer to the discussion. He was already uncomfortable as it was.

By the time they stopped studying, it was around dinner time. At some point Kuroko had stopped the Heat Week forum because they needed to continue with the study sessions. Now he was helping Kagami to prepare dinner — it was late anyway and going down to grab some burgers seemed to be a pain, Kagami claimed he'd had some leftovers because Alex recently went back to L.A.; he'd made too much curry.

"Oi, Kuroko, care to explain why you looked like a dead rabbit back there when Furihata yapped about the Heat Week?"

Kuroko stopped chopping carrots suddenly, thankfully he'd not hurt any fingers.

Well, Kagami was always the blunt type.

"Yes, it bothered me. It is a subject I am unfamiliar with." He told him, resuming the chopping.

Kagami gave him a weird look. "Unfamiliar, how? I mean, we  _all_  had them — " he stopped. "Wait. Wait a goddamn minute. Did you — I mean, not to be crude, but have you… ever… ?"

A pair of flush pink ears were his answer.

"Y - You  _actually_  never!?" Kagami sounded mortified.

Kuroko promptly 'nudged' at Kagami's side a little too forcefully, the taller boy yelped in pain.

"So loud, Kagami-kun." Kuroko narrowed his eyes at him. "Yes, I have never experienced the Heat before. I know it is considered unusual, it may appear that I am a late bloomer."

The average age for teenagers to experience their first heat was 12 - 14 years old. Kuroko was 16 and would be 17 this January and had  _never_ been in _heat_. He wondered if his growth was really stunted after all.

Which also worried him considerably, as he had researched about it before. It would seem that sometimes cases like Kuroko occurred, and that it'd be harder to deal with for when the First Heat finally happened to him. The article claimed the stunted hormones and sexual drives (that were already pretty strong for werepeople to begin with — not that it ever affected Kuroko) that were held back from its natural time to discharge, would come out in  _full blast_  when it did finally happen.

From what he heard from others, being in normal heat already sounded unpleasant as it was, but to experience a doubled or tripled effects than normal, on his first time, was infinitely worrying.

He had missed the last 2 years, since his 'natural time to discharge'. He's missed approximately 4 heat seasons at very least. Kuroko started sweating. Recently he'd feel a bit out of sorts lately, like his instincts told him the time for the Heat would come soon for him and he had no idea who to turn to at a time like this. None of his family members were Werepeople. And his grandmother already died. He knew other people locked themselves up for a whole week during… how would that even be possible with his primate parents around?

It looked like all kinds of emotions were displayed on Kuroko's face, because Kagami was staring at him with an odd look on his face (a year of constantly spending time together had given Kagami the means to decipher his emotions, it seemed).

There was a heavy silence between them that lasted for a while.

"Your parents… they'd tell you what to do. They'd put you in the Heat Room." Kagami said, his face serious. Kuroko had never seen him look like that before.

Kuroko shook his head slightly.

"My parents are Primates. We do not have any… Heat Rooms." They were not exactly rich either. Kuroko's house was pretty small.

He didn't miss Kagami's face when he looked at him with shock written on his face.

"Your parents…. they are Primates?"

He said it like Kuroko had told him he was a spawn of the Xenomorph.

Kuroko shrugged.

"My grandmother was a Light Seed. I was raised in mostly Primates community until I went to Teikou. She taught me a few things about the werepeople, basics of controlling true forms and hiding my aura. But she died before I could ask her about… this."

Kagami scrambled to regain his composure.

"I… I see." Kagami nodded, understanding. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

Kuroko had chopped the rest of the carrots. The silence was a bit unnerving.

"Kuroko, I think," Kagami said, drawing his attention. "I think your First Heat will come this season. No, that was wrong - I'm  _sure_  of it. I've smelled you — I told you before right? You were scentless before. When we first met. I don't know  _exactly_  when it started — because in court, the scents got mixed. I could be wrong but — I think it started  _maybe_  after Winter Cup, or during the game with Rakuzan. It was faint at first."

Kagami paused for good measure.

"At the gym storage," He continued. "When there was only the two of us, I could've sworn… I  _distinctly_  smelled you. Your scent. It got stronger over time. I think… I think it's a sign. Even now… I can smell you. Clearer than before." He finished.

Kuroko swallowed.

He knew.

"I… I heard. It was worse," He started, looking at the chopping table. "For late bloomers, I mean. I was supposed to get my First Heat two years ago… I didn't pay attention at first, because of Basketball and Teikou. I didn't seek help. I didn't know. Never talked about it. Never asked anyone. I thought it wasn't significant."

He only recently knew there was treatment for Stunted Heat condition, dealing with its tripled effects by himself now would pose a threat. Dangerous. He had no clue how to deal with a normal Heat, how could he know how to deal with a doubled or tripled effects of the heat? He couldn't exactly tell his parents. Their Primate nature would just sweep the information off of their brains. He grimaced.

Kuroko didn't like feeling so helpless.

"I'll help you." He heard Kagami said.

Kuroko looked up at him.

"I mean… if — if you let me." A crimson blush bloomed on his cheeks, he cleared his throat. "I have experience with… Heat Partners. I had my First Heat when I was 13. I've only ever missed one heat season, alone. Also… I have had both genders, as partners. I've been educated in the States — about Stunted Heat and how to deal with it. I still got the book somewhere."

Kuroko let the information sink into his brain.

He didn't know whether it was the fact that Kagami, born as a Heavy Seed, with massive Basketball talent, perfect physique, handsome face, a spectacular dick (he didn't mean to stare but he'd seen it in the gym showers by accident) and living in his own flat. Kagami was apparently also, wildly experienced in sex with  _different_  partners. Much more than Kuroko ever had. He didn't know which one pissed him off more. Damn American Returnee.

He promptly pushed out the urge to perform Ignite Punch Kai on Kagami's spectacular dick, as there was a more important issue at hand.

"You mean," He started. "You'd be my Heat Partner?"

He didn't expect Kagami to  _explode_  into a myriad of different shades of red more impressive than his own hair.

"Y — yeah tha's what I'm sayin'!" for some reasons he lapsed into english with an odd accent.

Kuroko thought of it for a second.

Homosexuality was considered normal among the werepeople ever since they invented the Parasites. It wasn't a social problem. But not all werepeople were bisexual, they had their own preferences. He didn't know Kagami was bisexual though. Kuroko had heard how it'd hurt for first timers. He had even less idea at how to perform the act between men. This situation would, however, be at his advantage… as Kagami would know. What to do with… the… sex.

Kuroko tried to ignore the heat rising in his cheeks. He was surprised to think that if he'd have to lose his virginity to a man, he'd rather choose Kagami out of all available options.

That was a very odd thought.

"Alright. I accept your offer, Kagami-kun."

"R — really?" Kagami exclaimed. Face red.

"Umm, and, Kagami-kun?" He added, couldn't help the blush from seeping out onto his pale complexion. "Please do be gentle with me. It is my first time."

Kagami's face tightened up so much Kuroko thought cracks would appear on the sides.

—

The Heat Week would start right after the Examination Week. Kuroko and Kagami spent more of their off-school off-club time together for more study sessions to prevent Kagami from staying back for another year and so he could enter the next championship.

Their relationship began to change since the day Kuroko accepted Kagami's Heat Partner proposal. The redhead started giving him long looks, during their study sessions or when they were having lunch at school. They made Kuroko fidget slightly but he didn't make it a huge deal. Then it slowly developed into innocent touches; on the arm that lingered seconds too long, or on Kuroko's shoulders, Kagami once went as far as to daringly touched his waist. He was lucky he only got away with one normal gut punch from Kuroko.

When Kuroko gradually became used to the touches, then Kagami started to grow  _bolder_. He began to take Kuroko's hand in his, when nobody was looking, lacing their fingers together. Then he would give Kuroko brief hugs that stretched longer and longer the more he gave him. Kuroko thought maybe it was an attempt to familiarise themselves with the touching for the Heat Week. Well, he knew there would be much more than just touching when it happened (no he did not just blush furiously at the thought), so Kuroko decided to… accept Kagami's touches.

He noticed Kagami was touchier when they were left alone at his house, the other First Years had gone home early for dinner after their study sessions. First he'd sit next to Kuroko as the shorter boy tidied up his notebooks, then he'd lean close until Kuroko was overwhelmed by Kagami's scent and his body radiated comfortable warmth. Kuroko didn't hate it. His scent seemed to have a curious effect on Kuroko. In fact, he liked it. He wondered if this was the famed Heavy Seed's pheromone. He never paid much attention to it before.

Kagami then would put his arms over Kuroko's shoulder, casually at first. He'd stay that way for a few minutes, waiting until Kuroko finished packing. Then he'd lean closer, his lips inches from Kuroko's ears and he whispered in a deep voice that sent chills up Kuroko's spines.

"Would you stay and let me cook you dinner?"

Kuroko chalked it off as being lured by Kagami's promise of divine food and perfectly delectable homemade Vanilla shakes. He wasn't sure if he could believe the reasoning himself. Sometimes he thought Kagami was trying to charm him through his stomach.

Mere touches became half-hugs, half-hugs became snuggles on the couch. Kuroko really wasn't sure how he'd let Kagami persuaded him into letting him do what he wanted — Kuroko felt like he couldn't resist Kagami when his head was heady with Kagami's seductive scent filling his senses and blurring his ability to judge logically. He'd stayed over on the weekends at Kagami's for studying, games and movies. When they were watching movies on a Saturday night, Kagami boldly put Kuroko to sit in between his thighs on the sofa while his arms wrapped around Kuroko's waist. He lazily sniffed at the crown of Kuroko's ice blue head and inhaled deeply as he watched the movie on the TV.

Kuroko meanwhile, was having a  _slight_  brain breakdown.

He had never dated anyone and he had no siblings. He was unused to be surrounded by someone else's warmth; to be touched so intimately. He also didn't know how much he actually enjoyed snuggling like this with Kagami. But then he remembered how touchy feely foreigners could be and thought maybe Kagami always acted this way with his American friends.

The thought managed to calm down Kuroko's wildly beating heart.

"Hey… tell me about yourself?" Kagami mumbled, his lips still on Kuroko's hair. His palms were making soothing circles on his tummy, it was comforting.

Kuroko crooked his neck slightly to look at Kagami. "Like what?"

Kagami looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Like… how you found out you weren't a primate."

Kuroko told him then. He had an accident when he was six, it was pretty bad because he went to a coma. The whole family waited for him to wake up at the hospital, after a few days he did. When he woke up he saw his parents and grandparents, but the look on his grandmother's face was both a mix of relief and shock. After he was discharged, his grandmother was the one who took care of him at home while Kuroko's parents worked. She told Kuroko he was a wereperson and that she needed to teach him a few things to become a wereperson.

"I didn't really understand what she was talking about, I told you I grew up in a mostly primates environment. I didn't have anyone of other species around."

Kagami made a humming sound. Kuroko had grown really comfortable with their position.

Kagami and Kuroko didn't pay attention to the movie anymore, instead Kagami listened to Kuroko's story as they snuggled closer. Kuroko never knew Kagami was such a cuddler; he was big and warm like a human furnace, it was alarmingly cosy being in his arms.

He told him things like how he came to know the werepeople society when he entered Teikou. How bizarre the difference between primates and werepeople, he felt like he was the main character of a fiction. How he interacted with the others who was shocked to know he knew virtually nothing about their world. At that time, however, he didn't tell anyone he came from primate parents because his grandmother told him not to. He only told them he lived and grew up in a primates-focused district.

The movie had finished an hour ago when Kuroko was done telling his life story, feeling as if a weight was unloaded off of his chest when he was done.

Kagami looked at him with a look gentler than Kuroko had ever seen him, then the redhead leaned to press his lips on Kuroko's forehead.

—

Kuroko put a ban on sleepovers and snuggles during exam week. He specifically told Kagami; should he not get passing grades, then they might as well forget about their 'arrangement'.

Kagami had groaned in protest, but didn't actually voice it.

He looked up from his notebook to stare at Kuroko. There were only the two of them left in the room. "Fine, but just let me do this." He pulled Kuroko down to his lap and started mouthing at Kuroko's pale neck, trailing wet kisses and gentle nips all over the surface.

—

Later on, Kuroko learned that Kagami had marked him when he saw a series of pink teeth marks adorning his neck and collarbone the next morning, then his teammates teased how he reeked of Kagami's scent.

Kagami received an Ignite Punch Kai to his gut for his trouble.

 

—

TBC.

—


	2. Bite Marks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There are side-pairings in this story that I would highlight once in a while through the eyes of Kuroko Tetsuya, who has accepted his friends' quirks without being too judgemental. Good kid. :D
> 
> UPDATED: This chapter is proof-read by IAmTheAnon!

**Weremanity Glossary**

The Female: Referring to the side of the mating partnership who bears the children/on the submissive role in the relationship, even if they are biologically male. The modern generation is not happy with such degrading title, although the more traditional ones still refer to their submissive partners as such.

Heat Week/Heat Season: A twice a year annual biological condition when the Werepeople reach their peak of fertility; the symptoms include rushes of uncontrollable sexual urges that are barely tolerable, causing the ability to perform daily activities rendered null. Rationality is overridden when a wereperson is in heat. At this time, they would even lose control of their True Forms. During the Heat seasons, Werepeople retreated to Heat Rooms for a duration of a full week until the symptoms run out naturally. Each country has different schedule for the Heat Seasons, it usually coincides with the changes in weather and climate, Spring and Autumn are decidedly known to be a universal time for Werepeople to schedule Heat Week holiday. The government has constant monitoring of these important dates and its changes, informing the community weeks before its arrival, as it is important for the Werepeople to take advantage of these schedules.

Heat Rooms: Sound-proofed rooms built for the necessity of dealing with the worse parts of the Heat state, every Werepeople family is required to have at least one within their household. The Heat Rooms are typically furnished with beddings or couches, with shelves stocked with food supply and tools necessary to help dealing with the Heat. The doors of Heat Room have special locks that can be operated from the inside and the outside, allowing older family members to survey the younger ones during the heat seasons.

Mating Donors: Werepeople has a tight knit community that values the importance of family, thus they encourage their people to breed young and as much as they can, to create an even larger community. The practice of Mating Offers and hiring better quality Seeds as temporary mates is considered an achievement. Heavy Seeds are highly desirable as Mating Donors, despite their high costs and low success rates. Hiring female Mating Donors is much more expensive compared to the male counterpart, as it is required for the employer family to take care of the Donor's needs from pregnancy until birth of the child.

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 2: Bite Marks

—

"Not. Apologising." Kagami pouted, crossing his arms. The sting in his gut had dissipated.

"Even if it's only until Heat Week's over, you are my mate, Kuroko. I can put my scent on you, so other males can see you are mine and they can't take you away from me." He had glared at Kuroko with hunger and a strange kind of wildness.

Oh my. He even growled the end of his sentence like some wild animal.

Kuroko sighed exasperatedly, massaging his temples.

How would he explain this? The main cause of this issue didn't even feel the slightest guilt. Kuroko somehow got a feeling that Kagami didn't understand why he was being reprimanded in the first place, he'd sounded like it was a completely natural thing to do. Had Kuroko really been unreasonable, or was he the only one with an actual common sense here? Or right. He did lack the common sense of a wereperson. That still didn't excuse Kagami's behaviour.

"First of all, Kagami-kun. I am not a girl, nor am I so attractive to warrant such propositions from men. I am quite sure nobody is intent on 'taking me away,' as you have eloquently put it." He started. "And second, it is impolite to 'mark' someone without permission. Even I know that there is such thing as consent among the werepeople, Kagami-kun."

Kagami grumbled something that sounded like, "… smelled so damn good … I can't help it." He continued glaring holes through Kuroko, stubbornly insistent.

"So if I ask for your permission, I can mark you right? I can deal with that." He growled. Again. "Come on, Kuroko! Let me mark you, you bastard!"

"… very smooth, Kagami-kun."

Dear God, this was not working.

This was one of the things Kuroko had no freaking idea how to deal with; dating a wereperson. Or dating in general, really. But he was pretty sure the latter would be much easier, as a 'normal' person did not possess the heightened instincts of a wild animal like Werepeople. And Kagami was a tiger; a very territorial beast. He should have known. Even if he thought of it as very inconvenient (and very embarrassing; he couldn't look straight at their teammates because they stared and sniggered so much), he admitted it might have been his fault for letting him do whatever he wanted. He should have set some limits.

His neck hurt. It was still aching from Kagami's bites and the bruises would take days to fade.

And Kuroko did not have a lot of shirts with turtle necks in his closet.

"Ah, young love."

Koganei and Mitobe announced their arrival in the locker room with knowing sniggers and an apologetic smile. That blush did not help the situation, o quiet one, Kuroko mentally commented. He fidgeted slightly, as the two seniors approached their lockers, which happened to be close to where Kuroko was standing. Koganei kept his kittenish grin as he walked over the lockers.

"What is it, Kuroko? Kagami can't take his hands off you?"

He laughed, glancing at his juniors back and forth. He grinned wider when he spotted the bite marks that Kuroko's jersey collar couldn't cover completely. He gave a playful glance at the redhead, nodding like a wizened sage as he continued.

"Hmm, hmmm, I understand the approaching Heat Week must've triggered this, yes? Increased urges and such. But you should listen to your mate, Kagami. Look, Kuroko's as red as tomato! So cute! Right, Mitobe?" He laughed merrily. Mitobe only offered a sympathetic smile.

Kuroko refused to acknowledge such claim. He still had his masculine pride intact, dammit.

By that time, most of their teammates had become aware of their relationship — even though they weren't really dating. Curiously, nobody seemed to have been seriously surprised. Kuroko noticed. There had been surprise, yes, but they recovered from the initial reaction a bit too fast as they had so good-naturedly congratulated them with the teasing and the giggling (like a bunch of gossiping fishwives, Kuroko swore), as if they'd known for ages and was only acting surprise to be polite. The lack of rejection had been increasingly unnerving.

As Kuroko thought of this, Kagami in the other hand, reacted to his seniors with overreaction.

"Koganei-senpai, Mitobe-senpai, get the hell away from Kuroko," He snarled. He paused for a second, before adding quietly, " — please."

Koganei blinked twice.

"Oh man, he's hopeless!" he let out a bark of laughter.

Oh God.

They couldn't resume their conversation because there were two too many people in the Locker Room Forum for his liking (and it was just so, so embarrassing), so Kuroko resolved to put on hold of their talk about the Marking subject. Morning practice full of gossips and teasing giggles aside, Riko — on a rare occasion of pure kindness — had felt sorry for Kuroko's predicament and graciously lent her makeup for his marks. She also taught him the steps to flawlessly conceal the marks with the liquid foundation, concealer and loose powder.

In his curiosity Kuroko had let slip a question, how could Riko knew so well about this? The female coach had blushed and glanced at Hyuuga, who was still practicing with the Second Years, and that was how Kuroko learnt the answer. Whoa, when did that happen? Then again the Captain was always the first one to bravely sample Riko's deadly cooking despite its consequences. Huh. He wondered if Coach Aida knew about their relationship? Better stay quiet for the sake of their team Captain's longevity.

Looking back, he never had much interest in romance. Momoi's interest in him was obvious, but Kuroko thought it was impolite to return the sentiment when he had no romantic feelings for her. Probably why he didn't notice their seniors were involved with each other.

His attention was then switched when the teacher entered the class, Kuroko cleared off his thoughts as the first period started. Next week was the exam week. Kuroko's brain abruptly stopped functioning.

Less than two weeks before the dreaded Heat Week.

Well, fuck. Quite literarily, he might add.

He felt chill risen in his belly, then Kuroko started to furiously — and a bit too obsessively — jot down notes of key questions for the exams to distract himself. Meanwhile Kagami was snoring on his desk, waking up ten minutes later to the homeroom teacher's Ruler of Punishment.

He was so focused, that when the bell commencing lunch time rang throughout the building a few hours later, Kuroko had dreaded it.

He usually spent his lunch time with Kagami. Sometimes with the other Seirin First Years — but he did not feel he wanted to be alone with Kagami right now. Whenever there were just the two of them, Kagami would make advances towards Kuroko. And while he had let him do it, it had mostly been innocent before. The touching, the hand holding and the snuggling - they did not have any sexual connotation to it, he could've chalked it at platonic things you could have done with friends and family.

But the biting and the bruising and the necking. He didn't have to have dating experiences to know what the hell that was. He must admit, it freaked him out. Even if he didn't show it on his face. It wasn't unpleasant, but still. Only that much and it had shaken him up, how would he handle more and beyond bite marks?

"Kuroko, let's get some food." Kagami glanced over his shoulders.

Kuroko couldn't refuse for no reason.

When they were walking down the school halls to reach the cafeteria, Kuroko had suggested to invite the First Year teammates to eat lunch together. Which Kagami didn't seem to mind at all — to his relief. But apparently those trio went missing from their respective classes. Usually when they didn't look for them, they would just pop out of nowhere. Getting increasingly desperate, Kuroko followed Kagami to buy lunch for just the both of them. They headed to their usual spot on the roof right after.

Kagami was eating a mountain of yakisoba breads, while Kuroko had a cream-filled bun and a carton of milk. While they ate, Kagami gave him another of his long looks, he was sitting very closely. They sat at the side of the roof that was shaded and set them apart from other people. Kuroko realised —it was as if Kagami had done it purposely. His suspicion caused a tight swirl in his belly.

"You covered them, huh." Kagami's voice sounded annoyed as he looked intently at his exposed neck, now neatly covered with the help of Riko's makeup expertise.

Kuroko chewed his food and swallowed before he could reply.

"Coach was kind enough to let me borrow her makeup kit." He answered, casting his eyes at nowhere in particular.

"… I like them on you. I like looking at my marks decorate your white neck."

As if to emphasise his words, he brought his hand to trail one cold finger where the jugular vein must've been. He dragged the digit up and down, in a lazy pace.

Kuroko shivered.

He fought hard to control himself, but failed miserably. Heat had risen to his cheeks traitorously. "Kagami-kun, please, it's inappropriate." He hoped at least his voice wasn't breaking.

The cold finger stopped on its track.

"You don't like it?"

Kuroko could feel Kagami's hot breath closing in, the rush of heat brushed against his right cheek. He kept his eyes looking straight, he couldn't help shaking under the weight of Kagami's Heavy Seed pheromone starting to seep out of the redhead. The heady haze his scent caused had sucked some of his rationality down the drain, Kuroko had to work hard to remain logical and composed, if he wanted to solve this issue.

"It's not… about liking or not liking it, Kagami-kun," He tried to find the right words. "Please, stop doing this kind of thing."

Kagami didn't look pleased at all. The aura around him took a change for the worse, it felt dark and heavy. Snarls slipped out of his lips, Kuroko could see black stripes beginning to appear on Kagami's face, almost distinctly apparent around his eyes and upper part of his face. His nails grew into sharp tips. Kuroko fought not to cower under the intimidation. He couldn't help the tiny tremors that shook his body.

"In two weeks," he began, fuming. "We’re going to have sex. No — that's not correct. We're going to mate. For a week, sacked up in a room god knows where, only the two of us. Locked away from the outside world. You get what that means?"

Kuroko wished he didn't know.

But he wasn't about to be beaten down easily.

"Kagami-kun, I—"

He heard a deep sigh being drawn out.

Kagami suddenly retreated.

Tiger stripes no longer adorned his sun-kissed skin, his claws retracted to normal size. He was back into his original position, scratching the back of his head nervously. Kuroko finally looked at him, confusion tinted his expression. The redhead had guilt written on his face, for once, it had surprised Kuroko seeing how stubborn he had been.

"Look, I don't wanna hurt you and I don't wanna scare you, but I'm bad at controlling myself around you. You're just so — your scent — driving me nuts!" He didn't look at Kuroko anymore, an angry flush forming on his cheeks. He turned to Kuroko again, glaring like a petulant child.

"I just keep getting greedy, okay? You never said anything when I touch you or hold you — I can never get enough of touching you, by the way — it's a like a drug to me. So I want more. I just didn't think… you'd hate it so much. You looked like you didn't mind. Sometimes I thought you actually enjoyed it. You could've just said something. I just wanted to — I didn't want anyone else to look at you like I do. I want them to get the message, to get the fuck away from you. That's all!"

He sounded frustrated. But not angry. Thankfully, not destructive.

"You listenin'? You get what I mean?"

Kuroko didn't.

He could see the difference between their upbringings. Tetsuya, who was raised by Primate parents with their stiff set of moral values despite being a wereperson, and Kagami who was not only a purebred wereperson from a society that encouraged free-reign life, He was at the top of the pyramid, a wealthy, desirable Heavy Seed who was used to a particular lifestyle, without knowing boundaries and limitations smaller people like Kuroko were used to. Common sense taught by his family and by a different sort of environment.

Kagami must be used to people who'd begged for his attention, various lovers who'd wantonly offered themselves to him with abandon ever since he was young, and who’d delight in having his marks all over their body. He couldn't understand why Kuroko would be embarrassed by such bold public display of affection. He probably thought it would make Kuroko happy.

Actually that pissed him off a lot. The selfish rich bastard.

As much as his attitude irritated him, Kuroko felt the need to clear the misunderstanding, as the older one of the two of them.

"Kagami-kun, I am aware of what will occur in the next two weeks," He paused to take a deep, calming breath. "It is just that, you must know that I have no experience in the matters of… the flesh. I had not dated anyone before, nor had I the chance to indulge in romantic escapades. I know you are much more experienced than I do, Kagami-kun. But I hope,"

He breathed slowly. He was cooling down a lot quicker now.

"I hope you can bear with my inexperience and take it slow. I hope you can understand. And I… I actually did not hate it. I do not hate what you did, to me." He flushed at the end, hoping Kagami wouldn't notice the clear crimson that scattered over his cheeks. "I just hope you wouldn't forget to mind our situations, we are still students, after all."

He could dream, at least, because Kagami hadn't missed out on anything.

"Y — you liked it? Really?"

Kuroko really hoped that bit wasn't the only thing Kagami heard. Or he'd get more pissed than he already was.

He brought both of his palms up until Kagami's head was in between the gap, then he closed them together with a force, clamping at Kagami's face with a singular slap. Kagami had a dazed look on his face like he hadn't realised what just happened, blinking his eyes several times. Kuroko leaned forward until their faces were inches away from each other.

"But," he sternly said, eyes narrowing. "I absolutely dislike it that you'd forgone asking for my opinions when you did something out of line. I'd rather prefer to think that our personal affairs must be kept behind doors, Kagami-kun. I am not as open as to let everyone to learn of my business."

He breathed in cool air when he'd run out, then resumed.

"What I think, Kagami-kun, of these bites. Or marks. Whatever you want to call them. They are inappropriate because I had a hard time trying to cover them from others' prying eyes — I even needed help from a third party. Other than that, we have an agreement, yes? I have accepted your offer and I have no intention of accepting others' even if the uncanny chances presented itself to me — although I highly doubt it — and dump you. If you still, really insist on doing it, then please, do be mindful of where you want to place them. Somewhere I can hide them with ease would be much preferable."

Kuroko could see the sparkles forming in his eyes.

"You mean it?"

Kuroko nodded.

"I can mark you, then? It's a deal?"

"… inappropriate places are forbidden." He repeated.

Kagami tsk'd. But he grinned happily anyway.

Kuroko sighed as he withdrew his hands. He wondered if this was how it felt, having a younger sibling.

—

After school and afternoon practice were over, they continued the discussion in the private space of Kagami's flat. Kagami had taken Kuroko's constructive criticism to heart, but he adamantly refused to give up on the marking subject. The area around neck and collarbone were an instant no from Kuroko. It had too high risks of exposure, accidental or not. No matter how much Kagami tried to persuade Kuroko it was his most favourite area — it was out of the question. When Kagami suggested the inner thighs and Kuroko's butt, he had another romantic encounter with Kuroko's Ignite Punch.

"… then! Your shoulders? Arms?" Kagami clutched at his sides, eyes welling up.

"They'll see it during practice."

"Shit — fine! Your stomach. Waist."

"I'm ticklish."

"Hmm, noted."

Kagami looked pleased for some reasons.

"Calves?"

"We wear shorts during practice."

"Fine then. Chest. Nipples!"

"… do you fancy another serving, Kagami-kun?" The Heavy Seed actually winced.

"— everywhere's forbidden! Were you even serious when you said you'd let me mark you?" Kuroko shot him an irritated look. "Fine! What about your back? It's always covered anyway, right?"

"Ah," Kuroko cocked his head to one side, he couldn't seem to find any loophole in that. He rarely exposed his back, only during changing for gym and baths.

"That is true."

Kagami's grin was so wide, it was actually blinding. The Light and Shadow roles they held were supposed to be metaphorical, not literal. Well, he supposed it was fine. They finally managed to find a common ground that Kagami was happy enough to be content with.

Out of habit, Kuroko took a look at the clock hanging above the TV set. 9 P.M. He'd told his parents he was at Kagami's as usual, but didn't tell them he'd stay for dinner. The discussion had stretched too long. He went to grab his school bag that was lying on the floor by his feet, but he didn't manage to do it when Kagami caught a hold on his wrist. He looked up at the redhead questioningly.

The goofy grin was replaced by a stiff, serious look.

"Don't go home," Kagami told him. "stay over for the night. Stay with me."

"Kagami-kun, I told you no more sleepovers until — "

"You said we can't during exam week. It's not exam week yet."

Kuroko knew that. But he tried to argue anyway.

Then Kagami was eerily quiet. "I told you… I wanna touch you. If you'd let me — that is." He paused to think of his next words, he looked mindful of his language. "I also want to… to mark you properly. Now that we've established the deal. Are you — are you okay with that?"

So many desires.

Kuroko wasn't sure if his body could handle the entirety of Kagami's lust, even more so after he had taken a glimpse at it. There was only less than two weeks until the Heat Week. If Kuroko couldn't handle this, how would he handle the raw, true primal nature of Kagami's desires during the Heat? Even if Kagami had promised to make it painless to help him with his peculiar condition. The anxiety was still there somewhere at the back of his mind. The fear of the unknown.

This was to familiarise himself with the touches, he'd reminded himself. It was for his own sake that he'd do this.

He could do it.

"Kuroko?" Kagami called him again, looking slightly dejected. "So — are you willing, or…?"

Kuroko cleared his throat. "Yes, I am willing to, Kagami-kun."

Once he got confirmation, Kagami then led him to his bedroom by the hand, gently tugging him along.

Kuroko had stayed over more than a bunch of times, seen the room just as many times, but somehow tonight was different. Kagami didn't make a move to spread the extra futon on the floor like he did whenever Kuroko stayed over. Instead, he'd drawn Kuroko towards his bed. Kagami's bed. He dropped his weight onto the mattress whilst Kuroko still stood by, his hand still in Kagami's.

The redhead looked up at him, beckoning Kuroko to sit next to him. Finding no better option, Kuroko did.

They were both seated calmly next to each other, Kagami began fiddling with Kuroko's hands, pressing pads of his fingers against the smaller boy's calloused palms. Kagami stared at them, turning them around at different angles. "Your hands are rough," He commented, brushing his fingers across the ragged surface of Kuroko's hands.

"Yours too," Kuroko had replied. Rough hands that were full of tiny, hardened bumps resulted from thousands of hours of Basketball practices. The prove of their passion.

Kagami chuckled as if he'd agreed with Kuroko's silent sentiment.

"I love them — these hands create such amazing passes. Passes meant for me." Kagami's eyes were gentle and loving as he looked at them, he started leaning down.

And pressed his lips against the pale surface.

Kuroko's breath was suddenly caught in his lungs.

The taller boy looked up at him with heat swirling in his eyes, full of intent, in contrast of how soft his voice when he asked.

"… okay?"

Kuroko didn't say no.

When Kagami touched the edge of his Gakuran, Kuroko found himself complying to the direction. He unbuttoned his uniform, and it was off within the minute. Kuroko folded it neatly and shoved it into his school bag, when Kagami went ahead and tugged at his shirt. He let Kagami help him rolled it over his head. He shivered slightly when so much of his skin exposed to the chilly air of the night, automatically reached to rub some heat into his forearms.

He didn't notice until later when he caught Kagami staring.

He felt a rush of heat rising up to his head, self-consciously drew his arms close to his torso, in a futile attempt to hide himself, or make himself smaller. He suddenly felt embarrassed, even though they'd seen each other in nude a bunch of times before. Why would tonight be any different? … it didn't make sense. Kuroko couldn't bring himself to return the stare Kagami kept holding for him.

"P — please stop staring so much," Kuroko felt it was unfair only he had taken off his clothes. It must be why he felt shy. "You're still wearing your clothes."

Kagami seemed to snap from his dazed, entranced state. "Huh? — oh yeah. Right." He stripped his shirt off easily.

It didn't really make Kuroko felt better in the least.

It actually backfired on him.

He had completely forgotten that Kagami's physique was amazingly unreal; full of lean, long and hard muscles that seemed to be sculpted out of pure marbles. The dim lights of the room seemed to dance over his features, accentuating every curved line and every hollowed valley of his flesh. Kagami's body hadn't fully matured yet, but it was already near perfection. Even for a Heavy Seed, Kuroko had yet seen anyone with physique as impressive.

A chuckle.

"Like what you see? You're staring." the redhead teased.

"… I was only returning the sentiment." Kuroko retorted, his face traitorously flushed.

"Heh. Whatever lets you sleep at night, baby." Kagami let out a satisfied bark at Kuroko's reaction. "We should take off our pants too, by the way. It's getting too tight."

Kuroko raised one eyebrow. "What was getting too tight?"

Kagami gave him a look.

Then Kuroko realised what it meant. "Oh. I… I see."

Kagami laughed. Out loud.

"Sorry, sorry! Hahaha!" Kagami clutched at his sides, laughing offensively. "I — I didn't realise how — how innocent you are! Oh man, what am I gonna do with you?"

"Please excuse my inexperience that you found so amusing." Kuroko glared, fuming.

"Nah, that's not it." Kagami's laughter died, he reached out to cup a hand on Kuroko's jaw, his thumb stroking his chin apologetically. "I must have scared you, huh."

Kuroko leaned to the touch.

"You did."

He saw Kagami's jaw tightened.

"I won't do it again."

His tone rumbled in tension, stern and tight.

"I know, Kagami-kun."

"You spoil me, you know."

"… Yes."

"… … c'mere."

He grabbed Kuroko's arm and pulled him towards himself, and the two landed on the bed with Kuroko sprawled on top of Kagami. He was caught by surprise. A hand came pressed the back of his head and started stroking lazily. He looked up, finding Kagami was also looking back at him. He'd expected Kagami to start doing something else, but he didn't.

"Kagami-kun?" He'd tried to ask.

"We're not doing anything. Let's just stay like this tonight. No rush." He could feel Kagami's body rumbled as he spoke, an arm around Kuroko's hips. Their bodies were flushed together, skin to skin. It felt vastly different than when they were snuggling clothed. It was much warmer and felt more embarrassing. But it was also alarmingly pleasant.

He shifted Kuroko into a more comfortable position on the Queen-sized bed, placing him next to the wall. They were staring into each other's eyes. Kagami used his elbow to support his body sideways as he loomed over Kuroko, watching him. The bedsheets smelled thickly of Kagami. The scent was lulling Kuroko into a state of relaxation, Kagami's gentle strokes on his head felt very nice. It comforted him.

"Go to sleep, Kuroko. It's been a long day."

Staring back at Kagami for a few minutes, Kuroko complied to the offer and fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

—

He woke up next day with a massive bed head that earned a weird look from Kagami ("You didn't move around much, so why's your hair so epic in the morning?"). They had breakfast together. Kagami's cooking was as flawless as usual.

When it was time to go to school, Kagami lent the smallest shirt he had — which was still fairly big on Kuroko — and they went to school together. They entered the club for morning practice, and everyone seemed to notice that Kuroko was wearing Kagami's shirt and reeked of him even more than he did yesterday — much to Kagami's delight. Too tired of questioning glances and girlish gossips, Kuroko left them with their active imagination.

—

The week was coming to end quicker when everyone was stressing over the exams.

The rest of the school days were uneventful. Kagami was leaving him alone, at least until the weekends — Kuroko didn't even need to ask this time — but the two still spent most of their time together at school, club and off school. Their study sessions intensified and they weren't able to be alone anyway, there were always people joining them until the evening. Kuroko couldn't spend so many nights staying over at Kagami's, so he went home when it had gone late, and Kagami had all but insisted on walking him down the neighbourhood.

On a Friday night, Kagami walked him until the train station as he had been doing for a while. It was late, around 10 P.M. and the street was mostly empty. Kagami had taken Kuroko's hand in his and shoved their tangled fingers into his jacket's front pocket. When they reached the front of the station, something out of ordinary happened.

He leaned in and kissed Kuroko.

It was a brief and chaste affair, lips pressed against lips for a few fleeting seconds. But it was still Kuroko's first kiss. The vivid blush on his face wasn't due to the cold night air, and Kagami certainly didn't miss anything. The bastard had actually grinned wolfishly (tigerishly?) and leaned to kiss him again, whispering to him that they should get together on the weekends — alone. The second time was a kiss with more force to it, he had his tongue brushing along Kuroko's lower lip. But the other boy was too stunned and stiff to respond to it.

The implication of his invitation hadn't gone unnoticed. He knew Kagami wouldn't leave him alone for too long.

And Kuroko was uncertain whether he'd seriously object to it.

The next day, he packed his duffel bag with some clothing and text books. He told his parents he'd be staying over at Kagami's place to study ('various studies', Kuroko mentally added), he reminded his mom not to forget to feed and walk Nigou before he left the house. On the way to the station, he texted Kagami he'd come over at noon. The phone rang five minutes later and a text from Kagami said he'd cooked him lunch and he'd prepared another of his homemade Vanilla shake.

Kuroko wondered if the meals was a part of calculated, laborious plan to get into his pants.

They had lunch together after his arrival, joking around and conversing about Basketball and their team. Kagami had kept his eyes on him all the while. He loved to watch him, Kuroko noticed — he rarely took his gaze away whenever Kuroko was in his line of sight. Being a Light Seed under the heavy observation of a carnivorous Heavy Seed Tiger, he still felt somewhat intimidated, but Kuroko had come to get used to it.

After lunch, Kagami dragged him to the couch. As soon as he sat, he pulled Kuroko onto his lap and trapped him in a cage of long arms. Kuroko had sighed and reminded him they were there to study first. Kagami grinned at the way Kuroko put it, looking very pleased. It had come to a new level of creepy how the Bakagami who was completely, utterly hopeless at studying, started enjoying it just so he could have Kuroko around. Flattering, but creepy.

So they spent the next five hours solving Math problems and testing Kagami's memorisation for Japanese History and Kanji language. They took short breaks every two hours, then continued until dinner time rolled in. The dinner was superb just as much as the lunch was.

Kuroko had a look of pure bliss written on his usually expressionless face and Kagami had just finished his tower of rice.

"It was really delicious. Thank you for the food, Kagami-kun." He thanked the host after putting the chopstick down, clapping his hands together in gratitude.

"Glad you like it." He heard Kagami said. "The bath's ready. You wanna go in?"

Kuroko refused out of politeness. "I don't mean to impose. You can go ahead first, Kagami-kun."

After all he was the guest. It was only right.

"Or. We can both go in together."

Kuroko almost chocked on his green tea.

Kagami was grinning widely. "The tub's big enough. We shower together at the club anyway, we even went to the hot springs with the whole team. No big deal."

Kuroko pushed out the urge to retort that Kagami had cheated by wearing trunks at that time.

Oh God. How did he keep getting himself into this kind of situation?

He must be blushing, because the tiger bastard's stupid grin grew wider. It annoyed Kuroko how calm he was acting. "Kagami-kun, you're such a player." He uttered the words venomously.

A chuckle. "So will you join me?"

 _Familiarising_ , Kuroko chanted wordlessly, like a mantra in the fortress of his mind.  _This is to familiarise with the touches. This is to help the Stunted Heat._  He knew this would happen even before he came to Kagami's place, he had braced himself with the possibility.

"Yes."

He told Kagami to go first because Kuroko wanted to do the dishes, he would join him later. Kagami had let out a low growl to express his displease, but didn't argue. Kuroko needed few minutes to prepare himself after all. Washing the dishes on a leisure pace helped calm his nerves somewhat, but it was over too soon. He couldn't keep Kagami waiting as he'd given his words — Kuroko chuckled to himself. He could have refused and left, he had plenty of chances to, but he didn't. He really wondered why he'd stayed and kept accepting the redhead's advances, despite not feeling entirely comfortable about them?

Because of his Stunted Heat condition could prove fatal during his First Heat? Because Kagami was his closest friend? His reliable Light in the court?

He wished he knew the reason why he hadn't grabbed his duffel bag and just leave. But he couldn't deny that because it was Kagami himself that he chose not to abort the mission, else he'd have sought treatments for his condition much earlier.

… That was an unnerving thought.

After he was done with the dishes, Kuroko headed to the bathroom. He took off his sweater and jeans then slipped out of his boxers and socks, folding everything nicely before putting them on to the shelf. He stepped on a slip-resistant mat in front of frosted glass door that leads to the shower and bath tub, inhaling several deep breaths. Gathering his wits about him, Kuroko reached for the handle and slid the door open.

Kagami was already soaking in the tub when he entered and had greeted him with surprise written on his face. Like he didn't expect Kuroko to actually go with it.

Kuroko snorted. He might be smaller and a Light Seed, but he was no coward.

The silence stretched for too long, so Kuroko went ahead and helped himself with the showers. As he washed and scrubbed the delicate-smelling soap over different parts of his body, he could feel Kagami's gaze lingering at his back all the while. He couldn't see the redhead's expression because Kuroko had his back on him. But he could feel the intensity by the smell of the musky scent that hovered in the air of the small space that wasn't his own.

He finished up quite quickly. He rinsed the soap off of his body and hair, before turning to face the tub and Kagami's baffled expression. He resisted the need to shiver at the way Kagami gazed at him from head to toe, licking his lips unconsiously.

"If you would kindly scoot over, Kagami-kun, I'd like to join you." His voice was surprisingly calm as he leaned over, hands gripping the edge of the smooth ivory surface of the tub.

Kagami visibly gulped and shifted, his position told Kuroko to slip himself to sit in between his legs. Oh my, he caught a glimpse of Mr. Spectacular seemingly swaying beneath the rippled surface of the water. It was almost funny. Careful not to trip on the slippery surface, Kuroko stepped into the tub. The lukewarm water overflowed with his added weight, making splashing noise as it spilled onto the ceramic floor.

Kuroko adjusted his position to snugly fit in; he arched his back and hugged his folded knees. His limbs bumped with Kagami's, but the tub really was big enough for the both of them. The water temperature was cooler than he expected because he had joined late. It was still warm enough, however, pleasantly so. He started to relax, gathering water in his palms to splash it over his face.

Then he heard a sigh came from behind him.

"Oh man." He heard Kagami's murmur.

Kuroko twisted his head to look over his shoulders. Kagami's head was rolled backwards, a hand covered his eyes.

"I didn't think — I wasn't serious. God, Kuroko. You really shocked me. I thought you weren't coming. I thought you got —" red eyes peeked through the gaps of his fingers. "Sorry. I didn't mean for you to do this." Was what slipped out of his mouth.

Well, that was insulting.

Kuroko was getting irritated.  He had gone all the trouble to prep his nerves for the past few days. And Kagami was only fooling around.

" … I'm insulted that you think I wasn't serious about this arrangement, Kagami-kun." He deadpanned, betraying little of his rising temper.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I am quite finished." He braced himself to get off of the bath tub, when Kagami stopped him in panic.

"N — no dammit! Don't go!"

A hard yank on his forearm and Kuroko slipped, falling backwards into Kagami's hard-lined body, head hitting the taut muscles of his chest.

"Shit! Sorry! Sorry, you alright? Kuroko, are you alright?"

Kuroko blinked away the stars behind his eyelids, he could see Kagami's face entering his blurring vision. He felt arms wrapped around his body and Kagami's face above him twisted mournfully, a shadow cast on his features from where Kuroko was looking up at him.

"I'm sorry alright? You — you are always so poker faced. I can't help but want to tease you." He saw Kagami's lips trembled as he spoke, the movement fascinated him for reasons unknown.

"I admit I like looking at these reactions I only get to see when I embarrass you, because you'd only show them to me. So I — shit, Kuroko. I'm sorry I'm so bad at this whole… thing. I tried. I couldn't sleep when you were in my bed, but I tried so hard. To hold back. I didn't want to frighten you." Kagami ducked his head and Kuroko could feel his breath on his neck.

"It's not that I'm belittling you alright? I was honestly shocked."

His breaths were harsh and irregular, low snarls escaping the gaps between sharpened fangs. Kuroko looked at Kagami agape, stripes were beginning to appear on the redhead's exposed skin. Kuroko could see the minute twitch of the drenched flesh, heat radiating out of one Kagami Taiga. Claws were beginning to protrude against his skin, the grip tightened almost painfully.

"When you stepped into this room, naked, I thought I lost my mind — I can't think right now with all of you displayed in front of me like this. I can't let you go with this kind of shitty —" He was shaking now, growls rumbling from the insides of his chest.

"Kagami-kun, calm down." Kuroko brought a hand to tentatively brush the red hair in several calming strokes. "I'm not leaving. You don't have to hold on to me so tightly."

A gasp and the grip loosened.

"Oh shit, sorry — Kuroko, I — "

"It's alright. You didn't hurt me. Calm down."

The stripes vanished gradually as Kuroko continued stroking Kagami's hair. He had his body twisted halfway to look at Kagami, who still held his head down at the crook of Kuroko's shoulder. They continued like that for a while, Kuroko's back was flushed against Kagami's chest as his arms laid around the smaller waist loosely. Kagami breathing down his neck tickled him a bit, but it was bearable.

He let the moment stretch until Kagami's breathing descended into a steady rhythm.

Kagami's head moved from beneath his fingers, and they stared at each other.

"… the marks …" Kagami's gaze fell to his neck. "They've faded."

"It's been a while."

Kagami brought a hand to his neck and touched the area delicately. "Can I…?"

"My neck is off-limit, Kagami-kun." Kuroko reminded him. "We have an agreement."

Kagami fell silent, staring longingly at it. Any minute now, the star-crossed lovers would declare their undying love for each other and elope into the sunset hand in hand, both Kagami and Kuroko's neck. Not if he could help it though, Kuroko decided.

"We don't have practice during exam week, right."

Kagami's voice snapped him out of his running imagination.

Kuroko knitted his eyebrows slightly. "That's right. We don't."

"Can I mark your shoulders?"

Ah. He knew that would come up somehow.

Kuroko sighed.

"Under these circumstances… I suppose it can be allowed." Kagami's whole expression lit up like a kid who'd been given a new toy to play with. How the heck did he manage to persuade Kuroko yet again? Kuroko didn't know.

"Could you turn around?"

Kuroko paused, but did as asked without much of a fuss. He'd soon regretted his decision completely, as this new position where he was required to straddle Kagami with his legs wrapped around the taller boy's waist, was beyond embarrassing to him. He couldn't look at Kagami with a straight face. Kagami led him to put his hands on the redhead's broad shoulders to steady himself, looking mighty smug at Kuroko's embarrassment from how suggestive this seemed.

And boy Kagami was staring hard. His hands gripped Kuroko's waist as his gaze drank in the sight in front of him greedily. The only comfort Kuroko was allowed, was the fact that their lower bodies were still hidden underneath the bath water. Kuroko wasn't sure how long he could hold up under the hungry gaze of the Heavy Seed.

"I won't do anything you don't like." As if answering his worries, Kagami assured him. "Can I kiss you?"

Kuroko gaped.

"You didn't ask for permission before…" He grumbled.

Kagami laughed. "Is that a yes?"

"… Shut up and do it."

With an animalistic growl, Kagami closed the gap between them and went for it, kissing Kuroko as if wanting to devour him. Kuroko gasped at the sudden wildness and the strange, wonderful sensation that unleashed a rush of heat from the depths of his belly. Kagami licked and nipped, sucked at the bottom until Kuroko's lips were red and moist, stinging with pain and sweet tang of pleasure.

"Open your mouth," He could hear the redhead breathlessly whispered.

Kuroko — with logic slowly swirling down the drains — parted his lips obligingly and let Kagami slipped his tongue in, tasting him, eating him. He began slipping out soft moans when their tongues found each other and mingled, trails of saliva flowed out of his lips down to his chin, unable to swallow them.

Kagami's hand was roaming across his torso, another hand still clutching his hip.

He could feel the surge of heat started flowing down in a rush, gathering in the pit of his stomach with a vengeance. Kuroko was made aware of what was happening under the rippling surface of the water as Kagami detached from his lips and down his neck, nipping and biting at his shoulder.

He was getting hard — Kuroko felt the familiar tightness on his crotch — he felt some of the heat rushed up to his face again.

"Kuroko,"

He gasped when Kagami bit down, then sucked at the spot he sank his teeth in. His hand had reached Kuroko's chest, its digits stroking the pink bud they found there. Kuroko felt a sharp chill climbing up his spine.

"I can't hold myself back. Can I?"

Apparently, Mr. Spectacular had also stood up. Their hardness brushed against each other under the lukewarm fluid.

Kagami's hand dropped into the water, hovering unsurely before the stiffening flesh. The lack of friction was becoming painful and Kuroko was too swept off by the sensation to refuse such tempting proposition.

"P — please," He breathed out in a choke. Kagami's ragged breaths hitched faster.

"Please do it."

He felt a hand wrapped both of them flushed against each other. When Kagami started a pace, it was frustratingly too slow. Kuroko bucked his hips for more friction, a deep moan tore out halfway when Kagami's lips were on his again.

It was a heady mix of heat and scents mingled in a cocktail of heavenly sensation. He heard himself making indecent moans and mewls he never knew he could make, and Kagami's erratic inhales and exhales sounded like seductive song to his ears.

His dick twitched when Kagami started lapping at his earlobe, finding a spot that made him squirm.

"You like that?" He heard Kagami breathed, voice thick with lust.

Kuroko found himself clinging to Kagami, arms wrapping around his neck with a tug. The pace became faster, harder and wilder, and Kuroko felt himself reaching to a higher ground. He was so close and he knew it. And he knew Kagami was close, too.

He bit his lip as he spilled, swallowing deep breaths.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Kagami's eyes flashed golden. His pupils shrunk into vertical slits, when the redhead claimed his lips again, growling into his throat. His teeth sharpened into jagged fangs, he bit into Kuroko's lips until it drew blood and he sucked. Sun-kissed skin flared with beastly stripes when he came, a deep groan tore out of his windpipe.

The noise of their erratic breaths lingered in the air, as they leaned to each other in the aftermath. Kuroko had never felt so boneless.

"Sorry," Kagami murmured, licking the blood that trickled down Kuroko's chin. His bottom lip had stopped bleeding.

He made a noncommittal noise. Too spent to complain. He laid his head on Kagami's shoulder, limply lying there, arms dangling at his sides. The redhead gathered him into his arms gently, cradling him closer. It felt nice and warm, he felt sleepy.

"Did it feel good?"

Kuroko blushed. His first time with another person, doing… whatever this was called.

"Yes."

Kagami's chest rumbled.

"Next time, I'll show you more."

Kuroko turned his head to look at the other boy. "…there's more to this?"

Kagami had looked conflicted. "Well… there's oral. And penetration… and other things."

The smaller boy's eyes widened.

"Umm, who will… you know?"

"Mine, in yours." He squeezed Kuroko's ass to show what he meant.

"… Are you planning to kill me?"

Kagami barked out a laugh.

—

After their first shared moment, there was barely any more chance to fool around when the all-important exams were just around the corner. Kuroko was determined for Kagami to get passing grades, while all the redhead wanted to do was spoon with him and sleep the Sunday away — Kuroko slapped him awake with a ruler every time he found Kagami fell asleep on the desk, his drool soaked the textbooks.

Despite days of effort, Kagami's Japanese Language was still severely lacking — dangerously so. They might have to borrow Midorima's magic pencil again in the earliest chance they get to meet him — ignoring Kagami's personal protests. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

One more week until the Heat Season.

—

TBC.

—


	3. the First Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Holy crap, thanks for the faves/alerts/subscriptions/kudos/comments/reviews/views guys! They made my day. :D 
> 
> I have thought about how long this fic is going to be. And I’d say that I will not be writing more than 10 - 13 chapters, given how I write long chapters (I always feel like I haven’t wrapped up the chapter decently enough and/or haven’t written enough about my OTPs). It fact, it may be even less!
> 
> UPDATED: This chapter is proof-read by IAmTheAnon! :D

**Weremanity Glossary**

Homosexuality: Despite Primates’ beliefs, homosexuality is common practice among selective species in the animal kingdom, thus it is not regarded as unusual for the Werepeople to engage in such relations. In retrospect, the invention of Parasites that allow the creation of temporary womb and pseudo penis have allowed same-sex partners to produce children, which ultimately benefited the community in whole. This has further promoted the role of homosexuality and bisexuality in their community.

Pregnancy: Werepeople’s pregnancy phase differs from Primates’. While the Primates species take about 9 to 10 months of pregnancy until childbirth, the length of gestation for Werepeople depends on their respective species; small mammals species may only need 4 to 5 months for the foetus to fully mature, while larger species may require longer. The child is in their True Form during incubation period and is also born as such, thus Werepeople’s pregnancy is not always obvious in appearance. Depending on the species of the child, it may take several weeks to a full year for the child to grow into human form.

Endangered Species: Fertility has been ongoing issues for the Werepeople. Several species have gone extinct due to similar problems, either by infertility or the inability to produce children that inherit the rarer parent’s breed. Those who are within the list of endangered species are given special treatment and put under close surveillance by the government and certain interested parties.  

—

**Beastly Call**

— 

Chapter 3: The First Call

 —

“Kuroko, it appears that you have finally started dating Kagami.”

Kuroko didn’t feel like asking the meaning behind that ‘finally’ in Midorima’s statement.

“We are not exactly dating, Midorima-kun,” 

He had to point out the fact, though.

“Ah, is that so …?”

Midorima pushed up the bridge of his specs with one hand, the other was hugging a Rilakkuma head pillow plushy. It looked as ridiculously out off character as it sounded — even more so than the usual. “He is your Heat Mate, then? After all, it will soon be the scheduled time.”

“Yes, that is a more correct term for it.” Kuroko took a sip of his Vanilla shake, rolling the drink in his hand idly.

Midorima looked at him quietly, with the expression he always wore whenever he attempted to figure out what Kuroko was thinking. Sometimes his keen interest in reading Kuroko could be so unnerving. Seconds passed, and after it had been half a minute, Kuroko raised an eyebrow and threw the other man a questioning look.

That one, Midorima was able to interpret. “Please don’t mind me. I am merely intrigued, as I don’t remember ever seeing you claim a mate before.” He cleared his throat. “I had some suspicions towards you and Aomine, however.”

Kuroko shook his head slightly.

“Aomine-kun and I were never like that. We were just good friends.”

“Despite your apparent closeness to him during Teikou?”

Kuroko had looked at him weirdly. “I think there has been a misunderstanding, Midorima-kun. We are only close in friendship, I assure you.” 

Midorima’s jade eyes narrowed slightly. “… Never mind then. I will not criticise your choice in mates, however —” he paused. “I think Akashi would appreciate a heads up from you. He does not fancy being left out of updates, especially when it concerns his subjects.”

“I believe the Shogunate era had ended hundreds of years ago, Midorima-kun, but I will keep that in mind.” 

After all, Akashi did have an almost obsessive determination to keep in touch with his Teikou ex-teammates. However oddly creepy it might seem. 

A figured strode past Kuroko and stopped by the table he and Midorima was occupying. It was Shuutoku’s Point Guard, Takao Kazunari, looking slightly out of breath.

“Shin-chan! Thanks for waiting — oh hey, Kuroko. What’s up?”

“Good evening, Takao-kun.” Kuroko greeted politely. 

“You’re late, Takao.” 

Midorima crossed his arms and squinted his eyes, annoyed, his Rilakkuma pillow was on his right. He scooted over to provide some space for the other man to sit on, which the Point Guard took in an instant.

Takao clapped his palms together and grinned apologetically. “Sorry, the hospital was crowded today — there was a really, really long queue at the apothecary. Don’t be mad, Shin-chan, I waited two hours to get your meds!”

“Hmph.”

Kuroko looked at Midorima and Takao at the revelation. “Are you on medication, Midorima-kun? I didn’t know you were ill.”

“Oh, no no. Shin-chan isn’t sick,” Takao answered the question for him, casually waving his hand his dismissal. “It’s some prescribed pills and hormone serums for the fertility treatments Shin-chan and I are on.”

“Takao, do shut up.” Midorima had a blush spread over his face to the tips of his ears.

“Fertility…? Aah.” 

Male pregnancy was completely possible with the use of Parasites — although the success rates for gay couple were lower than heterosexual couples, and it had its own side effects — but he didn’t know there were also fertility treatments for it. Also, Midorima and Takao were dating. But of course, given Takao was the only person able to withstand Midorima’s famed prissiness in close proximity, for extensive periods of time. Kuroko didn’t know how he could have achieved it. 

“Um, I suppose a congratulation is in order?” Kuroko offered politely, unsure how to react to the news.

“God no. Not yet, anyway, we’re not planning to pop any kids until after we graduate! Shin-chan insists on doing counselling and treatments early, —the worrywart — he hopes it’ll increase our chances when we finally get to it.” Takao grinned widely with a proud radiance of bliss, throwing an arm over his partner’s taller shoulders. Midorima in the other hand, didn’t look too happy with Takao’s apparent chattiness.

He cleared his throat, pushing up the bridge of his specs.

“Man proposes, god disposes. It is to be perfectly expected to do everything humanly possible to achieve the best possible outcome —”

Takao laughed. “Whatever you say, babe. You’re such a nerd.” He pressed an affectionate kiss on Midorima’s jaw. 

How adorable.

“Congratulations on your engagement, then.” Kuroko smiled at them. 

Takao grinned foxily. “Aww, thanks Kuroko! We’ll still beat your Seirin ass up at the next match though, so we can tell future kiddo all about it!”

“Seirin will not lose to Shuutoku, Takao-kun. So hold on to that thought, if you please.” Kuroko return the challenge good-naturedly.

Kuroko listened to Takao talk about their plan to move in together as soon as highschool was over. They’d go to different universities in Tokyo — Midorima had been aiming for Todai’s medicine studies, but Takao hadn’t decided on his choice yet — and sharing an apartment would mean cheaper accommodation and more time to build their family (“hey I can always be a stay-at-home papa while Shin-chan’s the breadwinner daddy!” Said an enthusiastic Takao).

They hadn’t formally told their respective families yet, but Takao came from a Middle Seed family, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

It was a nice thing to see how obviously happy Midorima was with Takao (even though he’d deny it with every inch of his pride). And to think he’d be the one getting hitched first among the Generation of Miracles. Life was funny and unpredictable. Kuroko tried to imagine Midorima as a father and husband — coming up with images of him buying the baby various kinds of toys doubled as luck items or even bringing some with him to work as some kind of talisman. It was a funny thing, and also strangely adorable.

Later on, Kagami texted him to come over soon and Kuroko had to excuse himself. Midorima had stopped him before he left and asked him to keep it all a secret, because he wasn’t keen on telling too many people just yet. Kuroko had given his promise to keep silent and he knew his ex-teammate was thankful. After that, Kuroko bade them good bye and left with Kagami’s flat in mind.

“Hey,” Kagami opened the door for him after he had rang the bell and waited for a short moment. “Did you get the pencil?”

“I did, Kagami-kun. Midorima-kun said hi.” Kuroko simply said, as Kagami ushered him into the shoe area near the entrance of the flat.

“Ah, wait a sec.”

Kuroko was clutching at his sling bag and was about to remove it, when Kuroko felt a tap on his shoulder and he was gently pulled back. Kagami caught him with a surprise kiss, nibbling on his lip for a second before withdrawing. He grinned in satisfaction at Kuroko’s blank stare — pinkish flush scattered on pale cheeks. 

“Kagami and his American Returnee habits,” Kuroko grumbled under his breath. He just couldn’t be used to the surprise touches and kisses Kagami threw at him in unexpected moments, and he had a nagging suspicion that Kagami had done it on purpose just to rouse a reaction out of him.

And now Kagami was sniffing him, nosing up the top of Kuroko’s head down to the spot behind his ear for a good half a minute.

“You smell like that Midorima bastard,” He scrunched up his nose in displease after he’d withdrawn. “We’ll have to change that.”

He took Kuroko’s hand and gently tugged him to follow his lead — which Kuroko decided not to refuse for lack of excuses. Kagami dragged Kuroko to the couch and sat, pulling the smaller boy to sit in front of him and trapping Kuroko in his arms. Kuroko had guessed this would happen, having somewhat used to the redhead’s habit to snuggle him given the chance. He supposed he could allowed a little breather time; they could use the short break before continuing their studies.

“Kagami-kun, there’s something I’d like to ask.” Kuroko had asked as the redhead started sniffing him again, seemingly enjoying himself.

“Hmmm?” Kagami purred, nosing up the crown of Kuroko’s head and breathing in his hair deeply.

“It’s about the Stunted Heat treatment. Would you care to explain more about it to me?”

Kagami grunted an affirmation and furrowed his eyebrows, he looked like he was trying to think of or recall something. He made soft noises as he contemplated, eyes widened slightly when he remembered. “I read about it maybe… two days ago? The books in my bedroom so I’ll give it to you later — but I’ll tell you the shorter version. General knowledge and such.” He decided, returning Kuroko’s stare with a grin.

Kuroko waited for him to start the explanation.

“Normally, the symptoms come a day or two earlier than the actual Heat Week holiday — this depends individually, some people got it early, some got it late. It’s never too far off though. Two days top before or after the schedule. Government usually don’t miss the dates — I got mine on time usually, so I’ll get into Heat maybe around Sunday evening or Monday morning. I don’t know about you, but it looks like yours gonna be early, typical of Stunted Heat Condition.”

Kuroko took a moment to digest and thought over the information. “Early … That will be troublesome. What if I am still at school? I — I’m a little worried.”

“’tis fine. I have Patches, you can use some if it comes to that!” Kagami waved his hand and laughed.

Kuroko cocked his head to one side. “Patches…?”

“Oh yeah, you don’t know these stuff. Uh, Hormone Suppressant Patches. You use it to delay Heat Symptoms, ‘cos it’ll get bad if you suddenly go into Heat in a middle of nowhere or when you got no choice but be somewhere else, right? It’ll only work if you use it early enough though, ‘cos after two days, your hormones’ll be too crazy to control. I still have some leftover, I’ll give it to you later.” 

“Ah and uuh… what’s more again? Hmm. Oh yeah, I’ll have to use the patches too. Gotta delay mine so I can help you deal with your first day.”

“My… first day. First day of Heat?”

“Yeah. First Heat’s always way confusing for beginners. My parents had to lock me up in a Heat Room and put me on security cam for surveillance. It’s freakin’ embarrassing — anyway, you’re not used to being in heat, it’ll get real troublesome for you and I’ll need to be in my right mind to assist you first. I’ll wear the patches some days before my Heat schedule, it’ll buy me a day or two at most.” 

“I… I understand.” He quietly said, voice subdued.

“Hey, hey,” Kagami seemed to notice something, he brought a hand to cup Kuroko’s face, peering in closely. Their foreheads almost touched. “Don’t worry so much. I’m here, you know? I’ll help you as much as I can. We’ll get through this together. It’s gonna be okay.” He assured him gently, stroking his fingers across Kuroko’s jaw. His eyes shone in genuine concern.

Kuroko smiled thinly, grateful of the reassurance. 

“Yes. I believe in you, Kagami-kun.”

The redhead’s hand stopped, then he inexplicably blushed.

“Shit — you’re too cute.”

The hand moved to the back of Kuroko’s head and Kagami leaned in, closing the gap between them with a kiss. Kuroko closed his eyes as the redhead’s lips moved against his own, languidly trailing a tongue along his lower lip. Kuroko parted his mouth slightly, allowing Kagami to slip in. The kiss was deep but unhurried, he could feel Kagami’s fingers tangled in his hair and tilted his face to deepen the kiss. 

Kagami licked the roof of his mouth and the insides of his cheek, Kuroko found himself swallowing the combined mix of their salivas. Unconsciously, he brought a hand to grasp Kagami’s shoulder, the fabric of the shirt scrunched around his tightened fist. Soon, it was becoming too heavy and intense to continue, Kuroko had to use his concentration to prevent himself from being too swept off.

“Kagami-kun, please — please wait,” Kuroko whispered when they broke off, he pushed Kagami’s shoulder lightly before the redhead could react. The taller boy had a dazed look on his face, staring at Kuroko’s mouth — bruised red and wet from kissing — as he spoke. He looked like he was about to dig in again.

“Please, tell me more about it?” Kuroko urged, not ready to change the topic just yet.

It didn’t look like Kagami was quite ready to redirect his attention, however. 

“Huh…? Oh. Uh, right. Crap. Sorry, will be back at it.” He fumbled his words, withdrawing his hand from Kuroko’s head with great reluctance. Kuroko waited as Kagami took several deep breaths, presumably to divert his focus back into the conversation.

Kagami cleared his throat. “So, we’ll go to Kanagawa next Saturday. We have a bigger summer house there with proper Heat Room, and it’s in a more private area. It’s probably a bit dusty right now so I’m gonna have to call the cleaning service. Also, gotta stock up for food later. We’re going shopping for groceries when we get there.”

Kuroko lowered his gaze and stared at the table full of textbooks and study notes. Guilt pricked at his chest. “Kagami-kun, I feel bad that you’ve been preparing for everything. I think that I should do something, to make up for this.”

“Huh? You don’t need to do that. I was planning to go there when it’s Heat Week anyway. There’s no Heat Room here in this flat, also, the neighbours will complain.”

“…. were you planning to ask someone else to be your Heat Partner?”

As soon as Kuroko asked, he clamped his mouth shut and went rigid. He didn’t know why he’d asked the question — it slipped out before he could think it over. A small swirl of nausea settled in of his belly and he knew he didn’t feel like he wanted to know the answer, it was odd that he’d want to ask the question in the first place.

Kagami had looked conflicted, eyes darting up at the ceilings in contemplation. “Ah, well, huh, come to think of it, I haven’t thought about it? I just moved back to Japan last year, so I don’t exactly have a lot of acquaintances. Plus, I’ve been busy — what with the Basketball tournaments and Seirin trainings. I thought I’d spend it alone this time around, to be honest.” He scratched the back of his head. 

Kuroko was more than a bit disturbed by the fact that he’d felt relieved by the answer.

“And you? Were you thinking of asking for someone else’s help?” Kagami’s tone brusquely took to a sharp change, traces of fury slipped out as low snarls rumbled out of his throat. Kuroko could see his aura was beginning to take the form of a massive tiger and his scent smelled of something burning. To say it was intimidating to be within close proximity of it, was an understatement. 

“Please calm down, Kagami-kun, I have not thought of it either. It did not occur to me to seek a partner to remedy my condition, I was thinking more on the lines of medical treatment and consultations.” Kuroko told him calmly.

The tiger receded back into Kagami. “Oh,” He said blandly when his anger had cleared out. “Good. I thought — I thought you’d go to Aomine or Kise. Or something.” He sheepishly scratched his nose as he looked away.

Kuroko felt a familiar feeling of dejavu.

“Aomine-kun? No. I believe he is a little too… rowdy, to be honest. Also, he prefers girls. And I think Kise-kun would be too busy with plenty of partners to choose from.” 

He remembered it had always been rough on the blonde, girls and boys kept hounding after him day by day whenever it was near the Heat Seasons. Aomine would just intimidate those kind of people, but Kise had to keep up appearances due to his modelling career. With his exceptional breed, it was only expected. The usual chaos twice a year.

“Huh, well. You’re mine now. So they can just fuck off.” Kagami scoffed, reaching a hand to pull Kuroko’s head onto his chest.

He wanted to retort that they were only temporary mates for the Heat Week, but decided against it.

“Kagami-kun, we have to continue studying. Tomorrow’s exam subjects are math and history, remember?” He reminded the redhead.

Kagami groaned painfully, head lolled back.

“Now now, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko patiently reasoned, “I don’t believe you’d want to stay back by a year, do you? If you do, we won’t be classmates again for the next year.” That somehow earned a sharp turn of the head from Kagami. He muttered curses and english obscenities under his breath, but complied with a resignation.

Against Kagami’s wishes, they continued their study sessions until past midnight. Kuroko had brought enough clothes with him to stay for another night, and they went to Kagami’s room to turn in after tidying up. Now when he had a sleepover, Kuroko would sleep in Kagami’s bed instead of the extra futon. Kuroko had grown used to Kagami’s body heat warming him up at night, and the steady rhythm of breath from another person had become something of a lullaby for him. 

They took showers (no they didn’t shower together, Kuroko knew that was too risky — although he couldn’t help but to blush at the memory) and brushed their teeth before climbing into bed, Kagami nudged Kuroko to move to the side against the wall. Kuroko wriggled slightly into a more comfortable position, he felt the duvet moved as Kagami tucked him in, staring at him quietly. Kuroko stared back and they stayed that way for short few seconds, before the redhead leaned down and kiss him on his forehead.

The bed creaked when Kagami settled himself next to him, casually putting an arm over Kuroko’s waist as he shifted closer. 

“Good night, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko whispered, eyes locking with the redhead’s.

He saw a smile formed on Kagami’s lips. 

“Night, Kuroko.”

—

 Kuroko had set the alarm of the clock by the bedside table before going to bed. They were cuddled up in the cosiness of the blanket, when the alarm went off — Kagami had groaned loudly and muttered english swear words as he tossed around, the bed creaked as he did, then he punched the off button with a loud thud. Kuroko’s head was still heavy with sleep, rubbing his eyes off of the crusts gathering at the corners of his eyes. 

“… Five more minutes…” He heard Kagami grumbled as he tumbled back into the mattress face down, he grabbed Kuroko and tried to pull the smaller boy into bed again. 

“Kagami-kun, it’s morning. Please wake up. We have school.” Kuroko was too sluggish to try to physically push the redhead, opting to shake him by the shoulder instead.

Kagami groaned loudly again, his eyes opened unwillingly, half-lidded and heavy with slumber. “Kagami-kun,” Kuroko nudged him again. With a final groan, Kagami kicked the duvet off and slapped both his hands to his face — presumably to ward off the sleep. Two minutes later, he staggered out of the room and Kuroko got off the bed, then made a beeline for his bag to take out his uniform and underwear. Kagami usually was the first to take the morning shower.

After breakfast, it turned out Kagami had plenty of leftovers and packed them into lunch boxes. He packed a normal sized lunchbox for Kuroko, while Kagami helped himself with a large-sized four-tiered set. Along the way to school, Kuroko and Kagami crammed in some notes for the Math exam — Kuroko recited questions whilst Kagami tried to remember formulas. He got it right six out of ten, which was something Kuroko was proud of — all the studying they did finally paid off. He did not want to lose to Midorima’s magical pencil prowess; as it was only a last resort.

They arrived in their classroom early, so Kuroko took the chance to solve some problems, Kagami watched him as he wrote formulas and counted the final result for problem X. In the end, he half-forced Kagami to join him and they both went through several more problems before the first period bell rang. The Math teacher Mr. Tanaka entered the classroom and asked for everyone to clear off their desks, save for their pencils and erasers. The exam papers and answer sheets were distributed evenly — the teacher declared start five minutes later.

Kuroko thought he did rather well — Kagami had looked like the earth had swallowed him and spat him back out, by the time it was over. Kuroko had vaguely wondered how the redhead would look like by the end of the week and he contemplated if he’d take pictures or not, as commemoration photo.

When he checked his phone at lunch break after Math exam, Kuroko noticed he had received a text message from Kise. 

“How peculiar,” He commented as he bit into the octopus sausage Kagami cooked in the morning, reading the message with his phone in one hand.

Kagami was digging into his 4-tier large-sized lunchbox like a hungry tiger — cheeks stuffed full of food — when Kuroko’s mutter caught his attention. 

“Huh? What’s that?” His mouth was half full of food and bits of it bounced out of his mouth as he spoke, eloquent as always.

Kuroko chewed his sausage and swallowed before he continued. “Kise-kun texted me asking for a favour, it is rather rare of him to do this. He says it is very important.” He told Kagami, tilting his head to one side. “He asks whether I am free to meet up with him later, presumably after school.”

Before Kagami could expel his tiger aura in a bout of irrational fury, Kuroko added, “He says to bring you along if I can, Kagami-kun. It would appear that this favour may require your assistance.” The redhead quirked a thick eyebrow, Kuroko just shrugged.

“We will continue this discussion later, Kagami-kun, in the meantime…” 

He flipped his phone off and stuck it back into his pants pocket. Kagami stuffed himself as he watched Kuroko pulled out an assortments of notes and a set of joint cue cards from what looked like to Kagami, as if they came out of nowhere like Kuroko was a ninja — though it was just the inside pockets of Kuroko’s Gakuran. He put the lid on the already empty lunchbox with the chopsticks settled on top, then displayed the notes on his lap, the cue cards in hands.

“Let’s do a quick study, Kagami-kun. Japanese History and World History are next. I’ve written the years and dates of important events on these cue cards.” He said. “Please finish your lunch soon, Kagami-kun.”

Kagami groaned, the noise muffled in his chewing.

After lunch time was over, they went back to their classroom. Kuroko didn’t have a lot of difficulties with History subjects, as they were mostly about memorisation. He was able to fill up the answer sheets and finished fairly quickly. The same couldn’t be said about Kagami though, who’d looked more and more like a redheaded zombie by the end of the school day — it was very amusing to watch. After the first day of exam, they were allowed to leave school early.

Kuroko and Kagami were walking towards the entrance gate, Kuroko’s phone buzzed and the screen enlightened with a new inbox message. Kise had asked to meet up at a neighbourhood courtyard nearby Seirin. He told Kagami and the tiger sternly declared he’d go with Kuroko, claiming there was no way he would leave him alone with Kise. With a sigh, Kuroko accepted his confirmation. He’d only hoped it wouldn’t end in unnecessary hostility.

The court was only ten minute walk from their school in a secluded corner of the neighbourhood, enclosed in worn steel mesh panels. There wasn’t anyone yet when Kuroko and Kagami arrived, they hadn’t seen the blonde. While Kagami inspected the empty court, Kuroko went ahead and circled the area, looking for any sign of Kise. Maybe he hadn’t arrived yet, he mentally concluded, when he spotted a head of golden hair hiding in the shadows behind the cubical toilet building, at the far back of the courtyard.

“Kise-kun?” He called out, stepping closer.

The blonde’s head twitched and he shifted, wary gaze slowly turned to Kuroko before they widened in recognition. “Kurokocchi! I’ve been waiting for you!” He exclaimed with a cheery smile, stepping out of the shadow with arms spread. He walked over and into Kuroko personal space and gave him a hug. 

Kuroko let himself be embraced by the blonde, used to his former teammate’s overly friendly behaviour. 

“It’s been a while since the Tournament, I missed you! How are you doin —”

Except he didn’t quite expect Kise to go stiff when he did. 

“Oh … oh whoa. Whoa. Kurokocchi, what is that…?” Kuroko heard him mutter inanely. The hug loosened, but Kise kept his grip on Kuroko’s arms as he took two steps away, seemingly trying to get a better look at him for reasons unknown. He gave Kuroko long, inspecting glances from head to toe.

Kuroko tilted his head, not comprehending the situation. “Kise-kun, what’s the matter?”

Kise didn’t immediately reply. Instead, he moved back in and started sniffing Kuroko in a very close proximity — near his temples — and took deep inhales. He closed his eyes as if relishing in it. “You smell like Kagami,” He said. “But there’s another… foreign scent… it smells amazing. Oh my god. So tempting and delicious…” He groaned low, grip tightening around Kuroko. Kise was acting very strangely, he seemed lost in a strange urgency to smell Kuroko.

It was getting rather weird and uncomfortable, even if it was Kise.

“Uuum, Kise-kun?”

Kise was too busy inhaling the air around Kuroko, to reply to him. He wasn’t really doing anything particularly improper, other than the innate sniffing. He was a wolf and such was part of his nature to want to sniff people close to him. But Kuroko was honestly confused, Kise had never acted this particularly … infatuated. He usually gave a quick sniff or two whenever they met, like a greeting, and this was already the umpteenth time.

Kuroko would try to resist and get away at this point, but Kise had a tight grip on him. Instead, Kuroko began contemplating whether he’d hit Kise to get away from the weird sniffing. 

“Kise-kun, could you please let go? My arms are starting to hurt…” He’d decided he’d ask nicely for now.

“Hmmm? Sorry, Kurokocchi. Just a bit more… It’s just… smells so… good.” Kise’s face was flushed red and he had a dreamy, almost obsessive look on his face. He didn’t look like he wanted to stop. It was starting to get irksome and borderline creepy.

So, violence was the answer. Such a shame. Maybe Kuroko could use his leg instead.

Although, before Kuroko could execute his escape plan, Kise’s grip was suddenly yanked away with a brute force, and Kuroko watched as the blonde flew backwards and fell onto the ground hard, landing on his butt with a dull thud. Kuroko could only stare agape and stunned as the scene unfolded. 

It took him a second before the figure of an infuriated Kagami entered his line of vision. The tiger’s eyes were wild and his fists balled tightly, his face twisted in fury and his spirit tiger was out, looming over the fallen blonde with blood red aura seeping out of its beastly form.

“Fucker!! You dared touch my mate!? I’ll fucking kill you!!” The redhead barked harshly, pupils shrank into slits and nails sharpened at the tips as he flexed his fingers open. His red eyes flashed golden.

Kuroko snapped out of his shock, taking in the immediate danger of the situation. He quickly glanced at Kise, who was brusquely cornered and taken by surprise, looking up at Kagami with shock and dumbstruck. Then Kuroko looked at Kagami — claws and fangs out— who looked like he was very much ready to sink his claws into Kise. The latter was in a clear disadvantage, with an ambush that disoriented him.

“I’ll rip you apart. Get ready, asshole!” Kagami snarled in rage, voice filled with throaty, animalistic rumbles.

Kuroko didn’t think Kise would lose should a fight broke between them, but a fight between two Heavy Seeds players outside of actual Basketball game would be highly unpleasant, bloody and it could get them both in trouble. It could get them banned from club, or worse.

“Kagami-kun, wait!” Kuroko yelled as he ran towards the tiger, outstretching his hands to hold the redhead’s arm. 

“It’s a misunderstanding. Kise-kun didn’t do anything.” He reasoned with haste. “He was just sniffing me, that’s all. Nothing else happened. Please calm down, Kagami-kun. Please.” Kuroko sternly said — sounding like a command. He forced Kagami to look at him in the eyes with a hand cupping the redhead’s face. As he’d suspected, light stripes were forming on Kagami’s features.

Kagami stared back at him, eyes wild and angry — but Kuroko was insistent and refused to let go — they stayed that way for a moment before Kagami’s harsh breaths quietened, eyes back to normal and claws retracted. They kept their gazes locked until the redhead had cooled down sufficiently. 

“Better?” Kuroko asked. Kagami only stared at him. 

Then Kuroko felt hands all over him, Kagami pulled him into his embrace with a forceful tug, enveloping the shorter boy in the tiger’s scent and warmth. Kagami looked at him, eyes darting everywhere to look for something. His other hand was on Kuroko’s face, turning his jaw right and left before nudging him slightly backwards to expose his neck. Kuroko was rather irked by it, as exposing one’s throat willingly was a sign of submission in the animal world.

“Nothing happened, Kagami-kun. Please stop that.” Kuroko tiredly assured him, as Kagami stubbornly continued his inspection. “Kise-kun was only sniffing. He is a canine, after all.”

“He was touching you.” The redhead snarled.

“Kise-kun was just being Kise-kun, Kagami-kun. You are aware of his habit to give friendly hugs, don’t you? He has always been like this since middle school.” 

Kagami’s mouth opened and closed several times like a fish, before he settled with a pout.

“I don’t like him touching you.” He said, a flush spread over his cheeks. “Only I get to touch you.”

“… That is an embarrassing thing to say, Kagami-kun. I believe friends are entitled to a degree of touching. Hugging fellow friends is hardly an indecent act. You’ve been rude and brutish, Kagami-kun. Please apologise to Kise-kun properly.” Kuroko resisted the urge to facepalm. Kagami could be so childish and unreasonably short-tempered at times.

Kagami looked as if he’d been slapped. “I — he was — he was touching you for way too long! You looked like you weren’t happy about it! Why am I the one who have to apologise!?”

Kuroko couldn’t deny that claim. But that still didn’t excuse Kagami’s action.

“That is true, but that will be up to me to deal with it. Or do you think I cannot take care of myself and my own problems, Kagami-kun? I rather prefer not to resort to violence whenever trouble arise, I hope you’d understand that. And I really would prefer you not do anything reckless on my behalf as well, especially under this circumstances. It is simply unreasonable.” He calmly said. “Do you understand me, Kagami-kun?”

The redhead looked away, face red in stubbornness. Still pouting. 

“I don’t want to, but fine. I got it. I’ll apologise.”

Kuroko smiled, bringing up a hand to gently pat Kagami’s head. “Good boy, Kagami-kun.”

“So… are you guys done with the pep talk?”

They both turned their heads to Kise. The blonde was already at his feet again and he was standing a few steps away from them, scratching his nose sheepishly. Kuroko felt a hot flush risen up his cheeks, aware they’d been ignoring Kise the whole time and Kuroko was still held tightly in Kagami’s arms. He could feel the shame began to pool within the cranium of his head, clouding his mind with embarrassment. He quickly pushed Kagami away to break the embrace.

Kise had looked surprised when he saw Kuroko’s flushed face — the initial surprise quickly morphed into a series of chuckles.

“Aaah, sorry sorry, I really didn’t mean to offend anyone. Sorry, Kagamicchi, I didn’t know you’ve taken our Kurokocchi here as your mate — he does smell a lot like you, though. I thought it’s ‘cos you guys are always stuck with each other at school and club. Guess it was just about time, huh?” He grinned at Kuroko, winking and waggling his eyebrows meaningfully.

Kuroko didn’t really want to ask what that meant.

“Ah, I uh, I’m sorry too.” Kagami lamely said, scratching the back of his head. “I thought you were attacking Kuroko and got carried away. Sorry about uh, your butt. And for being brutish.” He finished lamely.

“Well, I’m not completely innocent either,” Kise said, grimacing apologetically. His eyes looked awkwardly into the empty space of the courtyard. “I was really stunned by the smell Kurokocchi was giving off … I forgot myself for a moment there, to be honest. It’s a good thing you stopped me, I guess. I don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t.”

Kuroko cocked an eyebrow. “My … smell?”

“Yeah, you’re giving off this really, really deliciously alluring scent, Kuroko. You didn’t notice? It’s kind of camouflaged in Kagami’s scent, but I can separate them if I get close enough.” Kise had looked taken aback. 

“Come to think of it, you didn’t have such a nice scent before. No, I’m sure I’d definitely remember if you did. ” Kise crossed his arms and tilted his head, thinking.

“It’s like you’ve been hiding all this enticing pheromone somewhere behind that cute little ass of yours … if I’d known, I would’ve pounced you waybefore Kagamicchi could — that was just a joke, Kagami. Seriously, stop looking at me like that!” The wolf cowered down, face rapidly blanching. Kuroko saw an imaginary tail tucked in between his crouching legs.

And to think Kise was a Heavy Seed from an exotic breed. Kuroko felt this situation was plain ridiculous.

He resisted the urge to sigh. He felt he had let out one too many times lately.

He turned to the redhead. “Kagami-kun, please behave yourself and try not to overreact every time I’m with my friends. You’re being unreasonable.” Kagami jaw dropped, gaping. “And Kise-kun, please stop the unnecessary sniffing. It was frankly annoying and creepy.” Kuroko turned to the blonde, who’d looked like he was about to let out crocodile tears.

“That’s mean, Kurokocchi!” Kuroko didn’t bother to react to Kise’s wolf in sheep’s clothing act. Kagami only grumbled under his breath.

“I think the conversation topic about my peculiar scent can wait another day. Kise-kun, you contacted me because you said there’s an emergency.” He reminded the other two calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. The redhead and the blonde both had a look of realisation dawned on their faces, Kise in particular looked astonished that he’d forgotten all about it.

“As you’ve requested, I have come here with Kagami-kun. Would you care to explain what is it that you need help with? I need to remind you, however, we are currently having the semester exams, and thus we are losing precious study time as we speak. If you could be so kind, please do make it brief.” Kuroko stated firmly, in a no-nonsense kind of way.

After all, he had prepared study notes and mock exam papers that he intended to go through with the redhead, for an after school study session.

“Ah, yeah, sorry about that Kurokocchi, Kagamicchi. And thank you for coming here for me.” Kise had looked guilty, scratching the tip of his nose.

Kuroko nodded once and waited.

Kise fidgeted, his eyes were drawn elsewhere when he spoke. “So, hmm. Yeah, I’m not sure how to say this exactly …” He cleared his throat. “I need to obtain a certain item. It’s really hard to get and expensive, but I can’t buy it under my name. Basically, I need someone else to pitch in their name for me.” Kise seemed to develop an uncanny interest in a stray leaf that flew in front of him.

Kuroko took a consideration of the request. 

“May I ask what kind of item is it? Is it… illegal?” The way Kise’s jaw dropped and frantically made wild hand gestures almost convinced Kuroko that the item in question, might indeed be illegal in Japan.

“No! God, no! It’s totally legal, I swear!” Kise flustered, face lightly flushed from the exertion. “It’s just that … I am under surveillance, okay? So I can’t buy certain stuff without a third party knowing, or worse, the organisation …” His voice grew quieter nearing the end of the sentence, Kise fiddled with his fingers as his gaze lowered.

“Organisation?”

“It’s an international organisation that helps the preservation of the Endangered Species.” Kagami unexpectedly gave Kuroko explanation. “I heard they do shit like tracking your house addresses, credit card bills, parentage records, financial situations, even former and current mating partners. In short, they like to stick their noses where it doesn’t belong.”

Ah, it clicked. Kise was one of the few Japanese Wolves left in Japan. With such a pedigree, it was no wonder he was put under heavy watch.

“You forgot to mention they love playing match making too. As if we don’t have other choices in life but to breed children they want us to make.” Kise added, scoffing scornfully. It was the first time outside of the court that Kuroko could see the wolf slipped out of the blonde, radiating a feverish contempt. 

“They don’t get that wolves mate for life — we don’t breedlike common dogs.”

Kuroko suddenly wondered if Kise already had someone in mind when he uttered those statements.

“So, this item… does it have anything to do with your mate?” It was merely a conjecture on his part.

And then colours drained from Kise’s face.

“I — how do you — you’re as sharp as ever, Kurokocchi. I shouldn’t even try to hide it.” The blonde sighed in resignation. 

“Yeah, you see, ever since I turned sixteen, the organisation’s been hounding me to breed as soon as possible. They send letters and mating offers to my apartment nearly every day, and tell me all these things they’d provide me if I agree to the offers, like money, favours, facilities or shit like that. It’s honestly exhausting.” Kise brought his hand up and rubbed circles on his temples.

Kuroko actually felt pity that Kise had looked worn out and tired, looking older than his actual age.

“I’ve been seeing someone in the past year. Only recently, he finally agreed to spend this Heat Season with me. I really believe we’re meant for each other. But I can’t let them — I can’t let that dumb organisation ruin everything.” Kise bit his bottom lip, eyebrows creased deeply.

“Plus, my partner is moving away soon — I only have this one chance — I’m really desperate right now. I admit that.” A shadow hung over his features, staining his usually bright visage.

“Kise-kun…” That was all Kuroko could say, looking at the blonde with sympathy.

“Sorry for being selfish, when I heard from Midorimacchi that you two are dating, I thought I could ask you two to pitch in your names for me. I mean, they won’t suspect a thing if a same-sex couple like you buy the item I need.” Kise looked up at Kuroko, his gaze hopeful.

Midorima had been running off his mouth. Kuroko was displeased. Perhaps he’d ‘accidentally’ have a slip of tongue regarding Midorima and Takao’s engagement — the thought gave him a degree of satisfaction.

“You said you didn’t know Kuroko was my mate before.” Kagami cocked a thick eyebrow.

“Sorry, I lied! You were really scary, Kagamicchi … and I dislike violence outside of court!” the blonde clasped his palms together and bowed his head apologetically. Kagami looked annoyed but didn’t pursue the subject further.

“What is this item, actually?” Kuroko asked. It didn’t escape his notice that the blonde had been oddly secretive about it.

“It’s Parasite, isn’t it?”

Kagami spoke before Kise could answer, causing the other two to turn to the redhead — Kise gaped and Kuroko stared.

“What? Heat Season’s around the corner, his mate’s moving out of town and the organisation’s dogging him — no pun intended by the way, I’m not Izuki. Isn’t it obvious?” Kagami shrugged his shoulders. 

“Besides, high-quality Parasites aren’t sold freely in Japan last time I checked. You’ll have to place a special order from overseas due to stock almost always runs out. The sales of Parasites can be tracked too, by the way, ‘cos only certified distributors with special permit can sell ‘em. If we’re talking about Black Market Parasites, those can’t be trusted, and I don’t think you’d risk that with this important mate of yours.”

He knew it was rude, but Kuroko didn’t think Kagami could make such a thorough educated guess. How did he knew so much about it?

“Do you perhaps, want to purchase Parasites too, Kagami-kun? You seem to know an awful lot about it.” 

He was just making guesses, of course — it was a harmless question. The redhead did mention something about checking details of Parasite sales in Japan.

He didn’t expect Kagami to explode in various shades of red identical to what Kise was sporting presently. They both flustered, mouths gaped with incoherent babbles and their hands were making wild gestures, in what looked like a comical two-person mirror reflection game. Kuroko watched the two in mild amusement.

“A — anyway!Kise’s the one buying the damn Parasite! He probably wants to knock up his mate or something!” Kagami pointed an accusing finger at the blonde, face flushed furiously and eager to place blames.

“What!? That’s cheating, Kagamicchi! I never said anything about buying Parasites or — or intentionally getting someone pregnant! You don’t know for sure!” Kise’s voice was thick with panic.

After several more denials, vicious accusations and direct rebuttals later, Kise finally calmed down. They had moved locations to the usual Maji Burger junction because it was getting late. Kuroko knew for sure they’d never make it with the study plan at that point. After they’d ordered their food and started eating, Kise finally admitted that he and his partner had planned to conceive this coming heat season.

“It just seems like a good idea, you know? Before the organisation can butt into our business, we’ll make a kid so they’ll stop with the harassments. We won’t see each other much anymore, so I want to … I want to make him mine. Like some kind of twisted assurance, I want to tie him to me. So we agreed to try it out, at least — not that we’d know that we’ll succeed. I mean, the chances are pretty slim with me anyway.” The blonde uttered, tone bland, vacantly staring into the space with cold eyes.

Kuroko was sipping on his Vanilla shake as he quietly listened to the blonde’s story.

“You’re so concerned about what the organisation think, Kise-kun, why? Won’t they back off after you have a steady mate?” 

Kise visibly flinched.

“My mate isn’t someone they’d deem worthy of my pedigree. They’d never shut up about it if they knew. They’d tell me he’s not the right breed for me — and that the chances of making wolf cubs will be nonexistent. Like I care for all that.” He’d scoffed, openly showing the same hostility as he displayed so candidly before.

It was silent, but deeply ingrained like the slow boil of a kettle. Kuroko never thought Kise was capable of such dark resentment towards something or someone, as he was always nothing short than a sunshine incarnation.

“I don’t want to make a big scandal out of it — I can’t do that to my mate. He’s just — he’s just an ordinary Seed. I can’t let him and his family go through a media maelstrom because he’s with me. And besides … I’m afraid they’ll try to do something to separate us. I heard rumours about them breaking up couples because of shit like Seeds quality.” Kise chuckled bitterly, expression dark.

To think there would come a day when Kuroko would watch his friend be seriously in love with another person — and that person was Kise, the most frivolous man he knew — it was simply astounding. Was he so in love with his mate that he’d fight the society so readily? Kuroko found himself thinking. It was rare for a wereperson to be so devoted to one mate — not with the kind of society they were raised in. Midorima and Kise had proven that a single-minded loyalty was a possibility.

For once, Kuroko thought he found a common ground he could relate with, as a wereperson raised in Primates’ ways. For once, he thought they might not be so different after all. Everyone had their own problems, even a Heavy Seed with a rare breed like Kise. Kuroko was always the stranger wherever he went; not a Primate in body, yet not quite a Wereperson, in spirit. Before he knew it, he was thrown into a confusing dualism between two different societies and its opposing moral codes. And it had baffled him since he was younger.

He felt relieved, somewhat.

“You can use my name if you want.” The redhead suddenly said.

Kuroko looked at the redhead, who had been strangely composed and silent during the conversation. Kagami had finished up his large portions of burgers, licking his fingers idly. “Don’t use your credit card, I’ll lend you mine. That way they can’t track your records.” He added, looking disinterested.

Before Kuroko could say anything, Kise had beat him to it. 

“Really!? Thank you, thank you Kagamicchi! I really, really owe you one!” He almost leaped all the way across the table, half of his body bent as he clasped Kagami’s hands — even though they were covered in chilli sauce and mayonnaise and saliva, Kise didn’t care — his eyes welling up and shining in joy. The redhead jerked with a violent jolt, face paling with disgust. 

“Shit — get off me, Kise!! Gross!” He shoved the blonde, accidentally kicking the table. It jumped about five inches off the ground and rattled shakily. 

Kuroko slurped his Vanilla shake, swiftly avoiding the plastic utensils that flew to his direction.

“Please calm down, you two. Everybody is staring.” He bluntly pointed, his gaze went over the room and saw the rest of the customers were staring — the enamoured looks on their faces were apparent. 

This was why having two Heavy Seeds in a public space could be so troublesome — their combined pheromones was bound to seduce everyone within two hundred meters radius. Especially when Kise around, they attracted too much unwanted attention.

The belated realisation finally dawned on their faces. Then they both withdrew, Kagami looked angry while Kise was off into his own dreamland, the shadow was replaced by a brilliant sunshine — Kuroko was glad to see his friend returned to his usual self. The dark resentment didn’t suit Kise at all, Kuroko preferred the silly and bright Kise any day. 

The staring crowd soon became too much and it was getting rather late — so Kuroko suggested they turn in for the day, he and Kagami had school exams tomorrow after all. Kise bade them good bye and bounced away happily, leaving Kagami and Kuroko alone in the parking lot of the Maji Burger junction. They watched as Kise turned in a corner and vanished. Kuroko felt tired.

“I’m glad we were able to help Kise-kun. Thank you, Kagami-kun, I really appreciate your help for him.” Kuroko said, bowing slightly to the redhead. 

Kagami looked away and picked his ears, looking disinterested despite the flush of his ears. “No big deal or anything. I mean, he’s your friend and I just happened to have some spare money.”

Kuroko smiled. “You’ve been wonderful, Kagami-kun. Thank you.”

Kagami’s face went blank, staring at him. “You really need to stop being so cute, seriously…” He mumbled softly as he scratched the back of his head, but it was enough for the other boy to hear. Kuroko only laughed.

He took Kagami’s hand in his and tugged him gently. “Would you care to accompany me until the station, Kagami-kun? It will make me feel happy if you would.”

The redhead’s bigger hand squeezed Kuroko’s, he changed their hold until their fingers were laced in a more intimate knot. “Yeah, ‘course I will. Let’s go.” He murmured, gaze downcast. 

They started walking down the neighbourhood road, the sky above them was tinted in darkening shades of indigo with a strip of orange in the horizons. Their laced hands swayed in the enclosed space between them as they walked side by side. There wasn’t much people around at this hour, even if there was, Kuroko didn’t think Kagami would let go.

“… I forgot you won’t be sleeping over at my place for a while.” Kagami said, tone subdued. He kept his gaze straight ahead, squeezing Kuroko’s hand tighter.

“It’s only for a week, Kagami-kun.” He had kept his tone gentle and understanding.

Kagami didn’t respond for a while. “I’ve gotten used to have you in my arms at night and when I wake up, you’re there beside me. What I’m saying is — I’m gonna miss that.” Kuroko saw a crimson blush spread over his face, all the way to the tips of his ears. He looked straight ahead as if avoiding the shorter boy’s gaze on him.

“I thought Alex-san also sleeps in your bed?” Kuroko tilted his head to one side for a greater effect.

Kagami turned to him and looked mortified. “That’s — that’s a misunderstanding! That damn old hag just went ahead without permission! I didn’t do anything to her! We never did anything, I swear!” His other hand gestured in an attempt of persuasion, face blanching in panic.

Kuroko smiled teasingly. “I know, Kagami-kun. Alex-san did tend to be too touchy-feely, even I almost fell into her clutch.” 

It was the night after they won the winter cup and had a celebratory dinner in a Japanese restaurant. Later on, they moved to Kagami’s flat for a second round — Alex had supplied the underage teens with generous amount of canned beers. Kuroko didn’t drink of course — he drank tea while the rest of the Seirin team fell drunk or fainted one at a time. Hyuuga was the second to get drunk, Riko was beside him and had looked mildly annoyed with Hyuuga’s sudden metamorphosis to a hugging monster with the alcohol influence. 

Koganei was the third to fall drunk and babbled on laughing hysterically, Mitobe all the while patiently holding him steady. The rest of the first years sprawled unconscious on the floor due to low tolerance, Fukuda and Kawahara laid on top of each other while Furihata soundly slept against the couch, drooling. Kiyoshi had a drinking contest with Izuki, who went full throttle with his drunk-punning. Kagami had gone out to buy soft drinks at that time while Kuroko was observing quietly as the scene unfolded, the only one still completely sober.

Kuroko had excused himself to go to the toilet, when he realised a very drunk Alex was inside, slumped against the porcelain tiles with her top gone somewhere. He had been stunned and taken by surprise when he was suddenly pounced by a half-naked Alex — it was a good thing the woman was too disoriented with alcohol. She didn’t get to taint Kuroko’s virtue, Alex promptly went to sleep instead. Kuroko managed not to fell backwards and hit his head against the wall when Alex jumped him.

“That kind of thing happened?” Kagami had said incredulously, he seemed conflicted whether to get angry or amused by the story.

“Yes, Kagami-kun you should’ve been there to see it. I had to drag Alex-san alone into your room and put her into bed.” Kuroko remembered he was sore after that, his body wasn’t meant to carry someone taller and with more built than he was, especially after the match with Rakuzan. He felt slightly jealous back then, Alex was a female Middle Seed and had more built than he did.

Kagami was muttering something barely audible. “… to be the one who get you into bed first …” He saw a faint flush on the redhead that could be mistaken as something induced by the cold weather.

The train station soon entered their line of vision. Kuroko tugged their entwined hands lightly, to get the redhead’s attention. He used his other hand to unzip his sling bag, taking out a notebook that looked thicker than it was supposed to be, full of uneven gaps and folded papers that were sticking out messily. It was held together by a string that was wrapped around it and tied with a simple knot at the front. He handed the book towards Kagami, who was only staring at it blankly.

“Kagami-kun, please make sure you study these tonight. There are important key notes and the mockup test papers with the correct answers written on them. Tomorrow is science subjects. I planned to get it through with you today, but Kise-kun came up. I hope this will be enough, at least.” He explained.

Kagami looked at it, face still blank and staring at Kuroko. He didn’t make an attempt to receive it.

Kuroko was about to ask why he hadn’t — when Kagami suddenly pushed him against a wall and claimed his lips, the question dying in incoherent muffle. “Kagami — hmmmnnh.” Kuroko tried to say in his surprise, only for Kagami to take advantage of his parted lips to push his tongue in, draining all attempt to utter anything but soft mewls. The notebook fell from his hand and onto the ground, his empty fingers clutching at the back of Kagami’s jacket instead, the other hand was on the redhead’s chest.

“Kuroko, Kuroko…” He heard Kagami whispered against his lips, hot breaths tickled his nose and Kuroko was filled with Kagami’s scent. His back that was shoved on the wall felt cold and hard, but he didn’t seem to care. Their tongues mingled more freely when the redhead tilted his face, deepening the kiss as if they could get any closer than this. White, translucent steam escaped their mouths, vanishing into the cold air. Kuroko felt fingers tangled in his hair that held him in place, warmth spread from where the grip was.

Kuroko could feel the heat that rushed up his face intensified, his body brimmed with a sudden surge of lukewarm fever. “Aah, Kagami-kun… I —hnnn.” He moaned softly when Kagami sucked his tongue, he couldn’t close his mouth and saliva was trickling down his chin. Kagami licked it off and resumed devouring Kuroko’s mouth. His senses were overwhelmed with Kagami’s presence and his body’s warmth reached into the depths of Kuroko’s chest; his heart rate accelerated in a maddening pace.

When it was over, Kuroko was suddenly too cold, even in his jacket. A trail of saliva connected them as Kagami pulled away, face flushed red and his breaths were heavy. Kuroko’s face must be crimson too, because it felt feverish and a degree too hot. His head was hazy and his thought process was slowed down to an alarming tempo. He could only stare dazedly at Kagami, who stared at him back, red eyes emblazoned with desire — his lips were wet and red and slightly plump from their kiss. Kuroko couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from them.

Kagami ducked and licked his lips and chin, and Kuroko found himself wishing they could continue the act — but Kagami withdrew again a second later. 

“Sorry, I just can’t help myself.” He heard him murmur, voice thickened with low, throaty and barely audible rumbles. “And your book …” He bent his knees to pick up the notebook was lying by their feet. He pat the dirt off of the surface, looking down at it.

“Thanks, I’m gonna study it tonight. It won’t be wasted on me, I promise.” He grinned. 

Kuroko felt the urge to pull the redhead down to kiss that adorable grin — stopping himself only when he realised how odd the thought was.

The train station was just around the corner and they knew they had to part ways, but neither of them were eager to let go of the hold they had on each other. They lingered for several more minutes just standing close to each other, before Kuroko had to leave because his phone buzzed with missed calls from his mom. They looked at each other once more and parted ways, Kagami stayed until Kuroko entered the platform.

When he arrived home, Nigou greeted him with enthusiastic barks. His mom peeked out of the kitchen to inform him dinner was ready and that he had to shower first. So Kuroko, with his thought full of Kagami, went to his room to put his bag first before he entered the bathroom quietly. After he stripped down his uniform and under shirt, he caught the sight of himself in the mirror — his shoulders down to his chest were marred in bright red bite marks and hickeys — and he exploded in a furious blush.

Kuroko staggered into the bathroom, turned on the shower and let the cold water hit him harshly, hoping it would cool down the raging frenzy that gathered in the south of his body.

— 

Kagami had looked like he hadn’t slept the whole night. Maybe he kept his word and studied. 

The exams kept Kuroko distracted from any embarrassing memories (no he did not, once again, blush furiously when he thought about last night’s ardent kiss), and the anticipation of the Heat Week. Mostly true for the latter, as occupying his mind with studying for exams had been more than sufficient to distract him from his anxiety of the coming Heat Season. Kuroko had read and prepared himself with the theories, but it was the practice that worried him the most.

And well, he couldn’t deny that Kagami constant distraction wasn’t a bad thing either. The redhead would always comfort and reassure him whenever he hinted at his worries. He didn’t even have to voice it out loud, Kagami just seemed to know when he felt anxious. Maybe his scent gave his thought away — scents were known to change slightly when hormones shifted with emotional charges — as Kuroko did not have a scent before. He idly wondered if this would affect his misdirection in court, it would be bad if it did.

That was one more distraction he needed. He’d planned to find a way to curb his scent to a minimum, maybe he could come up with a special training for that.

At lunch, Kagami told Kuroko that Kise contacted him — he was irritated when he found out Kuroko had supplied the blonde with his numbers — and that they would meet up later to work on the details of the Parasite purchase. Kagami invited him to come along and Kuroko accepted, they were going to Kagami’s place for a study session anyway. Science subjects weren’t Kuroko’s specialty, but he thought he did a passable job on it. Meanwhile, Kagami had gone white as sheets with stress and lack of sleep at the end of the day. This time, Kuroko took a picture.

After school, they met up with Kise at the entrance gate of Seirin (the blonde was surrounded by a crowd of adoring fans as usual), and they went to Kagami’s place after that. In the apartment, Kise revealed he had placed a special order weeks ago under an alias and all he needed to do in order to receive the package, was to pay under someone else’s name. So they used Kagami’s credit card via online payment and the Parasite would be sent to Kuroko’s house as decoy. Kise would transfer the exact fund into Kagami’s account and that was all they needed to do.

They had no time to fool around other than to study, so nothing significant happened at the latter days. Kagami still walked him down to the station and kissed him after their study sessions — and Kuroko felt a tingle vibrated throughout his body every time they kissed. He began to feel that a brief kiss wasn’t enough. Kuroko felt embarrassed at such improper thoughts. But even he couldn’t deny his own desire. Kagami was making him feel and think of things he wouldn’t have considered before.

With the Heat Week enclosing rapidly, it only added to Kuroko’s growing anxiety. He read books related to his situation more than he did of exam related subjects. He tried not to think too much of it, and continued with their routine of studying for exams and spending time together. Kagami’s presence helped him keep his calm. They rehashed the plan in between studying and it made Kuroko feel better. Kagami even gave him the Suppressant Patches that he started wearing by Thursday, in the end, he managed to convince himself everything would be okay.

Until Friday rolled in, Kuroko woke up with a slight fever in the morning.

His head was dizzy and he felt slightly nauseous. He had thought he might be catching a cold and decided to take some vitamins after breakfast. On his way to school, he had attempted to read some notes during the train ride but couldn’t concentrate, his head was spinning and the fever worsened. He was slightly disoriented when he arrived at school, only managed to reach five minutes before the bell rang because somewhere along the way, he’d taken turn at the wrong intersection and got lost. It was unusual of him to be so forgetful.

Everybody was quiet when he entered the classroom, typically busy with last minute cramming. Kuroko staggered towards his seat, Kagami’s face was hidden behind a textbook when he passed by. Just as he was about to put his bag onto his desk, a hand suddenly grabbed him. He shifted half-lidded blue eyes at the redhead, who had a grip on his wrist, his book was down and his expression stiffened so hard, Kuroko thought his face would crack.

“Kuroko, you —” Kagami was about to say, when the bell rang loudly, signalling the first period.

The teacher came in and told everybody to take a seat. Kagami had been reluctant to let go, but he did. Then Kuroko moved clumsily onto his own seat.

He could barely focus. 

There was only one subject left for the exam today and they could leave earlier, so Kuroko thought he’d soldier on for a few more hours — despite his head growing heavier and duller, a strange swirl of heat was bouncing around in the insides of his body. He resisted the urge to squirm and kept his eyes open, marking the answer sheets one by one, carefully. He had half a brain left functioning for this, and it was a good thing that the subject was something he excelled at.

The minutes went by cruelly, Kuroko felt the fever worsened, and the most peculiar thing happened. He started feeling odd, the haze in his head was still thick but the heat started swirling downwards, bit by bit it clustered around one particular focus spot, and Kuroko came to horrifying realisation; he was getting hard. It was without any cause or any sort of incentive. At the back row of the desks where nobody was paying attention, he started squirming in his seat, his crotch was getting heavier with pressure. 

His fingers reached the edge of desk, where he dug his nails in almost painfully, he was sure he left marks on it. He bit his lips as the heady heat intensified, slowly boiling his blood to a warmer degree — the blood that decided to go down on him, torturing him further. Kuroko could feel his face heat up like a furnace and he started gasping, slowly and mostly silent at first as he refused to give in to this strange, embarrassing situation. His eyes darted at the clock above the blackboard in front of the classroom, twenty minutes left before the bell rang and signalled the end of the exam. 

It was hateful. There was nothing he hoped more than to escape this room and take care of this odd situation. His throat was suddenly parched, dry as the sands of the vast desert. Kuroko then felt a surge of fear that momentarily overcame the arousal, anxiety riled in like a force of nature that swept over everything else. He finally came to a belated conclusion; he was experiencing his First Heat.

Here. Now. In a room full of people.

Kuroko’s nails — now turning into sharpened claws — dug deeper into the desk, scraping at the surface. With a weak, throaty voice he didn’t recognise as his, he called out, slipping into a tiny whimper at the end. “Kagami-kun… Kagami…” 

The redhead suddenly stood, his desk rattled violently as he did so, the sound of pencils hitting the floor was followed by a collective of gasps. Kuroko watched blearily as Kagami turned on his back and grabbed his wrist, looking over his shoulder. 

“Sir, Kuroko is not feeling well. Permission to bring him to the health room, please.” He almost barked the sentence, voice loud and urgent. Their teacher was stunned silent for a moment before he took a look at Kuroko.

Kuroko wished he could turn invisible right at the moment — he knew he looked like a mess and the fact that the entire class was looking, didn’t help the situation.

“Ah, of course. Please take care him, Kagami, I’ll collect your answer sheets from your desks later.” The teacher said.

Kagami didn’t waste any time, he hoisted up Kuroko with one clean swoop — their classmates made a collective of gasps again — and the redhead bolted out of the classroom, carrying Kuroko in his arms. Kuroko wasn’t in the state to complain, he merely clutched at Kagami and clung to him, the thick, musky scent the tiger emitted made his head go into a frenzy.

“Kagami…” The whimper sounded like a beg, Kuroko would feel ashamed had he been in his right mind.

“Shhh. You’re having early symptoms — which is way too fucking early. Shit, I shoulda known!” Kagami alternated between comforting Kuroko and cursing under his breath, he broke into a small run as he carried Kuroko, careful not to make it worse.

The redhead nearly kicked the door off of its hinges when they arrived, and he rushed in, heading for the empty bed next to a wall. He leaned and placed Kuroko on the bed delicately, and Kuroko was thankful for the gesture. But his arousal hadn’t dissipated, it only grew stronger that it started burning. His pants were beginning to feel damp on the insides, and he knew his dick was fully hard now — he couldn’t help but to grind against the bed sheets just to relieve some of the tension.

Kagami left him for a moment to close the door and then fumbled about by the medicine rack, he went over and checked the labels of the bottles, cursing when he didn’t find what he was looking for.

“Fuck, they don’t have anything in here.” He said when he returned empty-handed. “The Patches and other stuff are inside my bag — but I can’t leave you here alone.” He tsk’d, fishing out his phone from his trouser pocket.

Kuroko was gasping, taking gulps of air as if it would never be enough. No matter how many times he inhaled, he couldn’t cool down the searing heat in his body. It was steaming up within of him and spread out all at once until it seeped out of every pore of his skin, making him sensitive at the slightest friction. He ground at the sheets again, clawing at them until small tears appeared. Low guttural sounds vibrated in his windpipe and he could hear himself growl in frustration.

He glanced at the redhead and remembered the things they did in the bathroom and the kiss in front of the station — and a storm of lust resonated from the depths of his belly. He wanted Kagami. He wanted Kagami like he never wanted anything else before. Kuroko felt his rationality slipping — he couldn’t resist the temptation as he groaned Kagami’s name and shifted position to be on his hands and knees, bending and stretching his limbs like a wild animal, releasing everything he had to seduce the man.

Kagami’s words died in his tongue when the redhead turned to look at Kuroko, the phone still pressed against his ear. He visibly swallowed — his adam apple bobbed up and down — and he licked his lips. Then he averted his gaze almost immediately. 

“No, Kuroko, stop. You’re not — we’re not in the right place. This is not the right time.” Kagami’s voice shook as he lowered the hand that held the phone. 

Kuroko made a displeased groan, his hand reached down to palm his growing arousal, high-pitched whines escaped his lips at the friction.

“Furihata will get our bags here after exam’s done. I’ve got some medicine …” Kagami paused, turning to Kuroko again. “In the meantime, I’ll help you relieve some of the tension.”

When Kagami sat down on the bed, Kuroko clung to him, tugging at the front of his shirt. He wanted it off. He needed to feel Kagami’s skin on his. In the back of his mind, what was left of Kuroko’s humane side became appalled at the wild, beastly nature he was boldly displaying. He wanted to stop himself, but the arousal was so intense it was ardently painful, his head throbbed just attempting to hold back the vicious, raw desires. He was terrified. He couldn’t help the tears of frustration beginning to well up in his eyes.

Kagami wiped the drops that overflowed and trickled down, stroking a thumb over his cheek. “Ssshh, take it slow. I’m here, it’s okay. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, this is natural. You’re not the only one like this when the heat comes. Everyone’s got it.”

Kuroko sobbed softly and leaned to his touch, whispering in a husky voice. “Kagami-kun, help me. Please… touch me.” 

A hitch of breath and Kuroko was shoved into the bed, the sheets rippled beneath his back. He watched as Kagami hovered over him, one hand loosened the collar of his Gakuran uniform. Kuroko’s heart beat loudly in his ears as Kagami loomed over him, his scent becoming muskier and stronger.

“Take off your clothes, so it won’t get dirty.” The command sent shivers down his spines.

Kuroko’s hands were trembling as he unbuttoned his uniform, ashamed when Kagami had to help him undress. His boxer was soaked and sticky when they removed Kuroko’s pants, his dick stood in full attention — flushed red and leaked at the tip, dribbles of pre-come wetting the length of the shaft. Kuroko flushed even brighter when Kagami stared at it with gaze flashed with fascination. Kuroko was naked and vulnerable, legs opened obscenely and dick so hard, it was excruciating.

“Don’t… look…” Kuroko rasped, suddenly obtaining some of his rationality back. He felt so ashamed, he threw his arms over his face, refusing to look at Kagami.

“Haa —!” He jerked when he felt hot fingers encircled his shaft, holding it in an infuriatingly gentle manner.

“Don’t be shy. There’s nothing about you that’s ugly. It’s the opposite, I swear.” He heard Kagami said, and Kuroko felt more embarrassed instead.

His breath hitched faster when Kagami began stroking him, the rough surface of his calloused palm felt good against his shaft. He started a steady pace of long strokes, thumbing the slit every once in a while. “Ah, ah, Kagami — mmnnn” Kuroko moaned and gasped, trying his best to stifle the noises but failing his purpose. 

“Kuroko, don’t hide. I wanna see you.” Kagami whispered to his ear and tugged at his arms.

Kuroko wanted to refuse him, but the terrible anxiety forced the shame aside in favour of seeking comfort from the redhead. He reluctantly opened his arms, and Kagami’s blood red eyes were looking at him.  

“Hey,” Kagami grinned at him.  

He didn’t know why, but Kagami’s grin pushed him off the edge and Kuroko came fast, spurting hard onto his stomach. He arched his body and threw his head back with a whimper. Kagami gave him a few more strokes to milk out the remains, but Kuroko’s dick was still standing and stiff, as if he hadn’t cum with an explosion. His chest heaved up and down and he absently stared at the white mess on his stomach, and at his shaft that refused to get down.

Kagami withdrew his hand slightly, licking the semen off of his fingers. Kuroko — having cleared some of the haze from his mind — looked at him, half-horrified and half-mesmerized. “Kagami-kun, don’t lick it, please. It’s dirty.” He found himself saying, flushing furiously.

“Nah. It’s alright.” Kagami shrugged noncommittally, sucking on the last finger. “Besides, you’re not done yet.”

Kuroko was still aroused — he was glaringly aware of it. Just once wasn’t enough to satisfy the haze of lust that clouded his mind. “It appears so…” He couldn’t be more embarrassed than this.

“Alright, then. C’mere.” 

Kagami grabbed his forearms and hoisted Kuroko’s limp, sensitive body up and shifted him onto his lap — Kuroko let out a yelp when Kagami did. They were now face to face, with Kuroko straddling Kagami’s thighs, his erection rubbing against the fabric of his trousers. A sticky trail was staining the front of the uniform. 

“Kagami-kun, your uniform will get dirty.” He promptly warned the redhead. 

“Hm? Oh. Don’t mind it. I have change of clothes in my bag.” Kagami nudged Kuroko’s hands to settle on the redhead’s shoulders, getting him into a more comfortable position.

“… It’s strange that you’re so well prepared for this …”

Kagami laughed. “Maybe I planned for this to happen, who knows? I did plan to jump you after schools over. Not really like this, though. I was going to seduce you with food, get you into my bed and do things that make you blush like this.” He teased, earning a vivid red flush on Kuroko’s face.

“You’re a despicable man, Kagami-kun. I am regretting my decision. I don’t want to be your heat mate anymore.” Kuroko deadpanned.

“Hey now,” Kuroko let out a moan when Kagami started jerking off his dick again. “Who’s gonna quit on who?”

Kuroko couldn’t snark back because the haze of lust came back with a vengeance. He arched his back as he tried to steady himself with one hand on the bed and another grasped at Kagami’s shoulder, his lips parted and saliva that he didn’t swallow escaped his panting mouth. Kagami had one hand circled around his waist, his mouth was busy setting burning trails of kisses and nibbles across his torso, sucking on the spots where the bite marks had started fading to renew the bruises.

He was too far gone with the sensation to notice Kagami’s hand was missing on his waist, fumbling to the back pocket of his trouser. He heard a click somewhere in the misty haze of his mind. Kagami murmured against his skin. “This is going to feel a little weird, but… trust me.” 

Kuroko almost whined when Kagami’s hand left his erection, tossing an angry glare at the redhead. Kagami leaned in to kiss him, in reply. 

“Be patient.” He whispered against Kuroko’s lips, before he claimed them with a ferocious force. The ire was thrown off somewhere, and Kuroko’s hand snaked to the back of Kagami’s head as they kissed deeply and passionately. 

Kuroko only had a slight inkling of what was going on, when he felt rough palms groping his ass. He groaned into the kiss. The hands were messaging his buttocks, sending sharp chills up his spines and down into his dick, in rapid successions. “Haa — Ah. Aaah — feels good —” He mewled obscenely, unknowingly withdrawing from the kiss and throwing his head back, lost in ecstasy.

“Hey, get back here.” Kagami growled, and Kuroko’s dick twitched at the deep, husky tone the tiger let out. 

Kagami nipped at the base of his neck, just above his collarbone, low growls rumbled against Kuroko’s throat. His teeth had sharpened slightly against his skin. Kuroko clamped his eyes shut when Kagami spread his cheeks apart, a hiss escaped his lips when something slick and long intruded the back entrance, shallowly nudging in and out.

“What…” Kuroko managed to utter in the midst of lust, confused. 

Half-lidded gaze found seductive pair of red eyes. Kagami had beads of sweat dripped down his face and jawline, the drops emitted an alluring fragrance. Kuroko thought the stray red strands slicked in sweat and stuck to his temples looked incredibly sexy.

“It’s gonna be uncomfortable at first, but it’ll feel good. I promise.” The deep huffs that escaped the gap of his mouth was incredibly mesmerising to Kuroko.

The finger dug into his hole deeper, it was a strange sensation, being intruded like that. He braced himself and threw his arms over Kagami’s shoulders, uncontrollable whines spilled out of his mouth when Kagami’s hand returned to his dick, stroking in time with the finger at his backside. Kagami’s lips were on him again, trailing down to his chest and mouthing a nipple, giving a tentative lick at the pink bud. Kuroko shivered.

“Try to relax, Kuroko.” The redhead told him as he kissed him again, as fervently as ever.

A second digit entered him, and he felt himself opening up in the most vulgar way possible. Kagami’s pace slowed down as he fingered his entrance, going in with shallow depths until Kuroko was wide enough at the rims. Then they dipped in deeper, and Kuroko could feel them moving inside of him; scissoring and exploring for something. Kagami crooked the digits and Kuroko saw white flash, letting out a loud squeal, breaking their kiss.

“Ah, here, huh?” Kagami grinned lewdly. The fingers dug in and touched the same spot and Kuroko felt a jolt of electricity jump up his dick, he panted harder and heavier, a blazing pleasure was building up in the pit of his stomach, and he felt like coming. Kagami’s movements at the front and the back were driving him to madness.

“Kagami-kun… aaah, Kagami! I can’t —I can’t— I’m going to, I —” Coherency left his mind, his mouth agape and face slicked with sweat. His body was flushed with a violent storm of heat that raged inside of him, demanding to be released. Kuroko was so close. 

Kagami was watching him closely with those blazing crimson eyes, his skilful fingers were bringing Kuroko to the edge once again. “Let it go, Kuroko.” Kagami growled deeply.  

And Kuroko came a second time, spilling messily on his stomach and the front of Kagami’s gakuran. He let out a dragged out moan, eyes squeezed shut as he rode another explosive orgasm, more intense than the previous one. His shaft trembled and spilled more in short jerks before it emptied out, finally fell limp. 

Kagami gently held him when Kuroko was too spent to move, he shifted the smaller boy carefully until Kuroko was lying on his back, in the soft cushion of the bed. 

Kuroko blankly stared at the ceiling, whilst Kagami tucked the sheets to cover his nudity. He turned his head to watch Kagami stripped off his soiled Gakuran — he had a shirt under the uniform and his pants were thankfully untouched. Kuroko outstretched his arm absent-mindedly, reaching out for him, and the redhead caught his hovering arm easily.

“Looks like the heat cooled down for now.” Kagami sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with Kuroko’s pale fingers idly. “With some medicine, it should be able to delay the symptoms until we get to Kanagawa tomorrow.”

Short of things to say — or maybe he was just too tired — Kuroko merely nodded.

Then he heard soft knocks on the door. Kuroko looked at Kagami warily.

“Don’t worry, I locked it earlier. It’s probably just Furihata.” Kagami told him.

He rose from the bed and Kuroko pulled up the sheets to cover himself further. The redhead unlocked the door and slid it open, it was their Seirin First Year teammate Furihata. Kuroko noticed the boy’s face was flushed a vibrant red as he nervously threw glances at Kagami and then at Kuroko, taking in the modest state of the latter and blushing an even darker scarlet. He was holding onto two bags — Kuroko’s and Kagami’s — and was clutching them to his chest.

“Um, I didn’t want to bother you two, so I waited outside and uh… I told the others the room was um, being cleaned. S — so they won’t get suspicious. And I — I have your bags with me.” He stuttered, shoving the bags into Kagami’s arms and looked around nervously, as if making sure nobody was around.

Kuroko blushed a deep red at the implication that Furihata might have heard them. He felt guilty — and mostly mortified. But too spent to react, otherwise.

“Thanks and uh… sorry about this,” Kagami said, scratching the back of his head.

“Ah it’s alright! Um I also bought this for you, I thought you’d need it.” Furihata handed the redhead two bottles of water inside a white plastic bag, Kagami received them with gratitude. Then he turned to Kuroko — he tried to avoid looking too directly at the boy — and gave him a sympathetic smile. 

“I heard from Kagami, it must be hard on you Kuroko. I’m sorry I was so insensitive before, I didn’t know about your condition.”

He must have meant the time they discussed the Heat Week some time ago.

“It’s no problem, Furihata-kun, thank you for helping us.” He returned the sentiment, nodding twice.

Furihata grinned. “Alright, you two can um, finish up your business here! I’m, uh, gonna make sure nobody’s coming in.”

The brunette waved his hand and closed the door, presumably resuming his watch.

Kagami unzipped his bag and took out a box of Suppressant Patches and a small glass jar. He let their bags flopped down onto the empty bed next to Kuroko’s, then unfastened the lid of the glass jar. He took two dichromatic capsules out and held it towards Kuroko. “It’s to suppress the symptoms, like the patches, but stronger. Obviously, the patches aren’t enough for you.” He explained.

 “Thank you for your trouble.” Kuroko sat up and gratefully accepted them. He turned the capsules around in his fingers before he pushed them past his lips. 

Kagami uncapped a bottle of mineral water that Furihata bought them. He drank some from it before he handed it to Kuroko, who took it and drank, swallowing the medicine along with the fresh liquid. He realised he was feeling parched, his throat was sore. 

“Take one every three hours, before or after meals. Make sure to discontinue consumption after two days. Side effects… drowsiness.” The redhead read the instruction label on the jar out loud, turning it around in his hand.

“Kagami-kun.” Kuroko said, his voice raspy.

“Hmm?” 

“Thank you. For helping me.”

The redhead turned to him. 

“No,” He said, lips stretched into a predatory smirk. “It’s  _my_  pleasure.”

Kuroko didn’t know why he’d shuddered.

— 

TBC

— 


	4. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is edited and proofed by KC!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:As you know, the ‘Organisation’ in Chapter 3 is actually a parody of real life international organisations (for example, the WWF), except this one is the werepeople counterpart. But since werepeople aren’t animals (you know, with actual conscience and individual will), I think some will be pissed off by the constant coddling and interruption from them, even if their intentions are good. I got the idea of including a parody of them because Japanese Wolf is extinct in real life, but in Sex Pistol manga, there are still few of the Japanese werewolf species remain. I’d figure certain interested parties would love to preserve the breed, hahaha poor Kise tho.
> 
> Last chapter, when Kuroko suddenly went into heat got pretty intense, also because I wanted the viewers to know exactly how it felt to be in his shoes (i.e. being in heat). I’m sorry, Tetsuya baby. (;w;)

**Weremanity Glossary**

Hormone Suppressants: These are invaluable tools to have when the Heat Seasons are closing by. There are two kinds of hormone suppressants; Patches and Pills. Both have the same effect of suppressing early symptoms of the heat. However, while the Patches work to suppress the arousal momentarily and are more commonly used, the Pills/Capsules work with stronger dose meant as temporary remedy to more special conditions — such as the Stunted Heat — and reduce excess side-effects of the symptoms. However, the pills are only to be used by strictly adhering to the instructions, due to its strong dosage, and it is not recommended to continue consumption after the written time limit, as it may present its own complications.

Shape Shifting: Werepeople are able to shape shift any time they wish, into a half-human half-animal form, or a complete animal form. However, they've been educated since childhood, of the importance to control their forms, due to the fact that exposing their true forms may attract unwanted attention, as releasing their true forms was equal to being in the nude. Thus, an education to control physical forms and spirit forms was staple for the werepeople children; they were only allowed to mingle in their society after they've passed examinations regarding this subject. This is especially recommended for those of Endangered Species kind, as they are commonly taught the way to morph their physical and spirit forms, into false forms, in order to protect themselves from 'poachers', who wish to profit from them illegally. However, to control one's form is a delicate matter, because it is very easy to slip into their beastly instincts when a wereperson is upset or experiences intense emotion. A full-fledged iron will is needed for one to completely surpass their instincts, and hide their true forms.

True Mate: If Primates' have tales of soulmates and destined lovers connected by red strings, the Werepeople have an old belief that they can  _track_  the one mate most suitable for them. They are known as the  _True Mate_. It is said that the Werepeople's beastly senses are able to determine their True Mate by pure instincts alone. However, in the modern world where materialistic means have more value than their own nature, True Mates have become a romanticised tale told to children, made to be forgotten by the time they reach maturity.

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 4: Fever

—

"How are you feeling?"

Kuroko looked up at Kagami, his eyes heavy with sleep, the hand that was caressing his head felt comfortable. He leaned into the touch, the soft cushion of the pillow flattened slightly when he moved, a small yawn escaped his lips.

" … I'm alright at the moment, I think." He told the redhead, rubbing his eyes a bit. The crust at the corners of his eyes was caught with the motion. "How long have I been sleeping, Kagami-kun?"

The tiger checked the clock on the bedside table before he replied. "Around 3 hours? It's already 9 P.M., I made dinner, by the way. I'll bring it here, you're still a bit feverish." He said, placing a hand over Kuroko's forehead and smiling at him.

"No, I'm — I'm okay. I'll come downstairs. " Kuroko tried to get up, lifting the upper part of his body by the heels of his palms. His movements were clumsy and sluggish, his arms shook a bit too much. In the end, Kagami urged him down by his shoulders, flipping him to his back easily.

"Don't push yourself. You need to rest now. I'll bring food here." He told Kuroko, kissing his forehead. Kuroko felt the urge to pout at being treated like a child, but resisted.

Kuroko wasn't in any condition to move around, due to the influence of the drug he had to take in order to curb his bestial instincts, which had left him with a fever similar to flu. He had felt guilty for making the redhead take care of him again, even if Kagami had been the one to volunteer, because Kuroko couldn't possibly explain his condition to his Primate parents. That didn't mean he didn't feel bad, to have inconvenienced Kagami time and time again.

"Kagami-kun, I'm sorry to have been a bother. You've been very kind and helpful, I feel bad." He confessed honestly, gaze cast low.

The redhead laughed. "What're you talking about? You're my mate, Kuroko, this is what mates do."

Kuroko felt his heart flutter when Kagami smiled at him with such gentleness, he could feel his chest tightening. He secretly wondered if Kagami had treated his previous Heat Partners in the same way? He didn't quite understand why the thought of Kagami being gentle to others made him feel unhappy. He brushed off the negativity from his mind, deciding he was being rude thinking that way.

Kagami then excused himself to get dinner a moment later. Kuroko pushed himself up to sit, feeling less and less tired now. He looked around Kagami's room — which he was already pretty familiar with — and spotted his phone at the bedside table next to the clock. He clumsily reached out for his cellphone and flipped it open, a photo of Nigou immediately greeted him. Kuroko smiled to himself. Nigou had grown up fast, now he weighted twice he used to compared to the first time Kuroko picked him up.

Now that he thought about it, Kuroko hadn't been able to play with Nigou for a while since he'd been busy with studying and preparing for Heat Week. As well he wouldn't be able to go home for a week or so either. Kuroko decided to text his mother not to forget to feed and walk Nigou — although, he knew his mom was nothing less but crazy for the husky pup, so that wasn't a problem.

He already asked permission to go on a trip during Heat Week (with the excuse of Basketball training) and they'd also picked up his stuff from the house, so there wasn't a need to call his parents again. He knew these inane thoughts were just a distraction from the anxiety again — he was still fidgety with the prospect of having sex with Kagami.

Kuroko felt heat rush up his cheeks, and knew it wasn't because of the fever. Even if Kagami was very, very good at it, it would still be Kuroko's first time and he couldn't help but to be nervous and shy about it. He knew Kagami had helped him multiple times, but the thing about the — the anal sex (he did a Google search on the internet). He heard both good and bad things about it, and it made him edgy.

Now with logic and moral restraint intact, the prospect was becoming a reality to him. Kuroko realized the last time he was in the haze of the heat, he had wanted Kagami wholeheartedly. He wondered how much was it due to the heat lust, and how much of it had been of his own desire. He suddenly felt the need to lie down again, because his temperature had risen up another degree. This was bad, thinking too much made his head dizzy, and Kuroko really didn't need the heat to start heading downwards again.

The door opened just as he leaned his back onto the headboard, Kagami entered with plates full of food. Kuroko was sure the redhead brought his own portion, because there was no way Kuroko could finish that amount alone. The redhead grinned at him as he used his leg to close the door behind him; both hands were required to carry the vast amount of food Kagami was holding.

"Hey, sorry for waiting. I gotta bring my portion too." He said. He cleared up a little space on the bedside table for one of the plates.

"You haven't had dinner yet, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko checked the digital clock, it was 09:14 P.M., a bit late for dinner.

"Was waiting for you to wake up, I wanna eat together with you." Kagami casually said, sitting on the edge of the bed, gesturing for Kuroko to come closer.

"You don't have to do that, but thank you, Kagami-kun." Kuroko scooted closer, his head peeking at what Kagami had on the plates.

He'd made some sausages, bacons and spring rolls. There was a bowl of purplish blue grapes he put on the bed. The one on the table was a tower of all the combined foods — except the grapes, which clearly was for Kagami. Kuroko gulped loudly at the sight and the smell, his mouth watered, he didn't realize he was so famished until now.

"I cooked some finger foods, 'cos you'll be eating in bed, so it won't get messy. I don't have a small table or anything like that — sorry." Kagami leaned in to press his lips on Kuroko's temples, as if to apologize. Then the redhead grinned toothily at him, taking a piece of the sausage and offering it to Kuroko.

"Come on, I'll feed you. Open wide."

Kuroko didn't think it was possible to feel this nervous, at the idea of eating from Kagami's hand. "Kagami-kun, I don't think — "

He'd tried to refuse politely, but Kagami beat him to it.

"Come on,  _please_? I want to do it." The redhead said, pouting childishly.

Oh my. Kuroko had never seen  _this_  Kagami before, all childish and giving him puppy-dog eyes.

Despite his shame and reluctance, Kuroko found himself parting his lips obligingly. The redhead — his smile turned goofy and happy — pushed the sausage past his lips gingerly. His fingers brushed Kuroko's tongue, he pushed until the small piece of sausage settled snugly inside. Then Kagami withdrew his fingers, brought them to his own mouth and licked them. Kuroko forgot to chew for a second, before he remembered and started munching.

"… It's delicious." He commented, noticing late that it was rude to speak while eating. He chewed and swallowed quickly, his stomach demanding more with warning rumbles.

Kagami grinned widely. "Is that so? Try this one." He took a piece of the sliced spring roll — Kuroko noticed everything on his plate was cut to bite sized pieces — and offered it to Kuroko again.

Kuroko stared at the appetizing spring roll, gulped lightly, and opened his mouth. It was just so delectable — he could taste the juicy duck meat and some fresh vegetables wrapped in crispy rinds, even the sauce was exquisite. It must take a while to make these, he idly guessed. Kagami fed him several more times, without touching his own food. Kuroko wondered why he didn't eat as well.

"Kagami-kun, aren't you hungry? You haven't touched your food." He pointed it out.

"Uh, oh yeah. I totally forgot about that." Kagami looked a little taken aback, glancing at the abandoned tower of finger foods. "I thought I'd feed you first. I mean you've been sleeping all the time, so you must be starving, Kuroko." He said, grimacing.

Kuroko stared at him blankly; a whimsical thought crossed his mind.

"Shall I … feed you, too?"

Kagami exploded in vibrant shades of red and his jaw dropped, gaping his mouth.

"A — are you sure!? You want to f - feed me, by hand!?" For some reason, he raised his voice a little too high.

Kuroko suddenly felt like he had said the wrong thing, lowering his head in shame. He felt depressed all of a sudden. "Unless… you don't want me to? I'm sorry, I said something odd."

The redhead was making wild hand gestures now. "N - no! I mean, yes!  _Of course I want to!_  I'd love to! Do it as much as you like! _I'm totally cool with it! I don't mind at all!_ " Kagami enthusiastically exclaimed with fists pumped upwards, breaking into English at the last sentences. Kuroko blinked.

"If you don't mind then, Kagami-kun, I'd like to do it." Kuroko said then, smiling.

The redhead grinned so wide, it looked a bit painful.

Kagami was all smiles when Kuroko started to pick up the food for him — Kagami held the plate on his lap— and fed the redhead. Kagami ate with gusto, even more eager when he fed Kuroko in return. Kuroko found he ate more than usual this time, he wondered if it was because he'd skipped meals, his stomach was slowly filling up with the delicious foods Kagami had made for him. Soon, both of their fingers became greasy and full of crumbs, the flavours stuck to the digits.

Kuroko absent-mindedly licked and sucked on Kagami's fingers lightly, tasting the spices and sauces on them. Kagami's fingers were longer and bigger than his, he idly thought, the crumbs clung to the rough patches of skin he found on the pads and the junctions. He licked off the trail of grease that ran along Kagami's middle finger in long, quick, licks. It took a moment before he realized Kagami had gone completely rigid, red eyes locked on Kuroko.

Kuroko stopped in his tracks — lips still pressed against Kagami's finger — when Kuroko read the desire within his red eyes.

"Are you … ? " Kagami trailed off, withdrawing his hand from Kuroko. He looked conflicted; his gaze broke away and went elsewhere for a moment, before he looked at Kuroko again. His expression was stern and his jaw tightened, inhaling slowly. "Kuroko, I don't know if you do it intentionally or not, but don't do that. You'll make me want to lose control."

That, Kuroko realized, must be how suggestive his assumed innocent action was. It didn't occur to him it had such an effect, until after Kagami mentioned it.

The next words that escaped his mouth, however, were something he didn't expect himself.

"Then, why didn't you, Kagami-kun?" He asked, instead. "I've been wondering. You could have had me back then at school, I wouldn't have refused you. Why did you hold back?"

When the Heat Haze had overwhelmed Kuroko, he wouldn't have refused whatever Kagami was going to do to him. He was vulnerable and weak, his body was excessively sensitive with lust, Kuroko had been the very definition of a sitting duck. He was well aware of Kagami's desire for him, the redhead always wanted to touch Kuroko, to kiss him and keep him close. Kagami had made it perfectly clear that he wanted to monopolize him, first by rubbing his scent all over Kuroko anytime he was given the chance, and then by acting irrationally possessive and territorial towards other men. It was hard to escape notice.

And yet, not only the redhead had refused to act on his desires back in the health room, when Kuroko had been so meek and willing, — he had kept his clothes on as he attended to Kuroko's needs. He didn't even attend to his own afterwards. Kuroko had noticed the undeniable bulge on Kagami's crotch after they'd done the deed, even if the redhead had acted unaffected.

Kagami stared at him, seemingly taken aback by the question. He looked dumbstruck; his mouth opened and closed several times, without a sound. Kuroko waited for him to say something, their gazes locked. Seconds turned into a minute, until Kagami seemed to have finally formed proper sentences in his head.

"I didn't want that." He said, slowly.

"You weren't in your right mind. We weren't in the right place, either. Not that — not that I would've done something had we been in a different place, mind you, it's just that … I promised, okay? I promised to help you, and to take advantage of your moment of weakness — that wasn't the right thing to do, to help you. I mean, it's not all about me." He looked away, scratching the back of his head.

"And, when I … when I finally have you, I don't want it to be just some quick, casual affair at school. I — I want to have sex with you somewhere more … proper. More private and comfortable, for us. I want to enjoy it. I want you to enjoy it. Sex takes preparation for it to be good, especially for your first time. I can't make it good for you, by rushing things up like an idiot. I want to — I want to do it right. I wanna do right by you." Kuroko saw Kagami flushed a deep red to the tips of his ears.

"That's it, okay? Just — just don't ask anymore than this. Shit, so not cool … " He frowned and cursed in English, under his breath.

Kuroko blushed too, for some reason.

"Kagami-kun, you … you're unexpectedly a romantic." He uttered softly. His head felt dizzier with the extra heat.

The redhead flushed even brighter — Kuroko could practically see steam rising around the redhead — and he turned his head sharply and furrowed his eyebrows, yelling angrily. "What!? What's so wrong with that!?" He barked, his whole complexion flushed in red.

"No. It's not wrong." Kuroko said as he glanced shyly at the bed sheets, one clean hand fiddling with the cotton fabric. "I think it is very sweet of you, Kagami-kun, to think of me that way. Thank you."

It made him happy, Kuroko didn't expect to feel about this so strongly. It made him feel glad to have chosen Kagami as his partner, both in Basketball and in private. What was he thinking? Kagami had never disappointed Kuroko, it was his determination and faith in Kuroko and their teammates that brought Seirin to victory. He shouldn't have doubted him, after all if there was someone he could rely on for anything, it would be Kagami. Wasn't that why Kuroko accepted his offer in the first place?

He brought a hand to lightly tug at Kagami's shirt. "I'm glad you're my partner, Kagami-kun. I'm happy to have trusted you with my condition." He said, looking up at the redhead, smiling gently.

Kagami looked at him, seemingly conflicted. " … only you can say embarrassing things like that, seriously."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black, Kagami-kun. You can be quite shameless sometimes, you do realize that?" Kuroko pouted, remembering all the instances the redhead made him blush, on purpose, in order to rouse a reaction out of Kuroko.

Kagami glowered. "I'm only like this with you, y'know. I'm not like this with anyone else."

Kuroko felt a grip on his wrist. The redhead grabbed his dirty hand and brought it up to his lips. Kuroko felt his breath caught in his throat, when Kagami started licking and sucking at his fingers similar to the way Kuroko did previously. He kept his gaze on Kuroko as he lapped the digits, licking with long, lazy strokes, wetting them with his saliva. He purposely pushed Kuroko's fingers into his mouth to the end of his knuckles, sucking on them salaciously.

It looked rather sensual — Kuroko understood a bit of what Kagami had felt, when he did it to him.

He aimlessly played with Kagami's tongue, feeling the warm, wet flesh wrapped around two of his fingers. He caressed the surface of the supple flesh, sometimes tugging it lightly between his fingers. Kagami's tongue was longer than Kuroko's, he thought, and it had a certain soft, cushiony texture to it. The flesh inside the cavity was wet and soft all over, it felt decidedly different than from when they were kissing. His fingers scraped against Kagami's teeth, but it didn't hurt. It was strangely fascinating.

"Kagami-kun, we should wash our hands after this," He uttered, in passing. His digits vibrated when Kagami hummed, it felt ticklish.

They still had some food leftover, so they resumed feeding each other until the plates were clean, only the bowl of grapes remaining for dessert. At some point Kuroko remembered he had to take the medicine again, and Kagami left to fetch them water. Meanwhile, Kuroko went to the bathroom to wash his hands, then returned to Kagami's room. The redhead was already there, helping himself to the grapes.

Kuroko took the medicine. He glanced at the clock and noticed it was already past 10 P.M., they would need to turn in soon since they were catching an early train in the morning to Kagami's summer house. Kagami had handed several grapes to him, which Kuroko accepted, but later mentioned they had to prepare for bed. They went on with their usual routine, Kuroko noticed Kagami had bought him a fresh toothbrush and placed it in the bathroom — a light blue one that was placed next to Kagami's red one — and he gratefully used it to brush his teeth.

Kagami nudged him to the usual spot next to the wall and tucked him in, giving him a kiss. They bade each other goodnight, lying next to each other with Kagami's arm over Kuroko's waist.

—

The next morning, Kuroko woke up with a searing fever — and found it difficult to breathe.

He could feel the familiar swirl of haze started clouding his mind, his head throbbed and beads of sweat pricked his pores. He tossed and turned, twisting the sheets beneath him and groaning in discomfort. He panted heavily. Kuroko felt something cold brush against his forehead and the pleasant coolness was comforting against the heat steaming up within him. He opened his eyes slowly, vision bleary with the heat. He saw a blur of red hovered above him.

"… I'll get the pills." Kagami's familiar voice said.

Kuroko whimpered when Kagami's hand detached from him, along with the comforting touch. He brought up a limp, shaking hand up, wanting to search for it. His hand was caught in mid-air, wrapped in the same cool sensation.

"I'm here, it's okay." The tiger's voice said. Kuroko breathed deeply, nodding.

He heard a lid being opened with a click, and seconds later, something small was gently pressed against his mouth. He parted his lips slightly, to allow access for the capsule. Fingers snaked to the nape of his neck, lifting him slowly and carefully. Another hand went around his back and helped him sit on the bed, his back brushed the surface of the headboard. He felt something wet and chilly gently nudge at his mouth, a glass of water, he presumed, but his lips shook too much for him to achieve the simple action properly.

"Kuroko, can you drink it?" Kagami asked him, but Kuroko was having a hard time thinking with the fever, burning him from the inside.

He heard a sound and the cool glass withdrew from his lips. A short moment later, Kuroko felt a hand tilt his head upwards and another pair of lips pressed against his, a thumb on his chin urged him to open his mouth — which he did. Fresh, cool liquid poured into his mouth and down his pipe, drenching the parched throat with great relief. Kuroko swallowed the water and the medicine, a bit of the fluid didn't manage to enter his mouth, dripping down his jaw and neck in thin rivulets. The coldness felt good against his heated skin.

Kagami's lips left him a moment later. Kuroko turned to him, opening his half lidded eyes, his vision clearing up bit by bit.

"Do you want more?" The redhead asked, a glass of clear water in hand. He nodded and Kagami drank the water, kept it in his mouth then passed it to Kuroko again. The redhead nibbled his lips lightly, licking off the stray fluid that escaped in excess. The drink helped clear his mind a little better.

"What time is it … ?" He'd asked, tentatively. Still sluggish.

"05:40 A.M., you were tossing and turning in your sleep. I thought something was up." Kagami said, a thumb skimmed Kuroko's chin.

"I — I don't feel very well. My head is pounding, and I feel very feverish." Kuroko admitted, his head dizzy with the heat. The haze had cleared up somewhat.

"Your early symptoms are worse than the usual due to the Stunted Heat; your body overheats too quickly. I need to watch your condition from time to time, it could get worse at any moment, if I don't." Kagami stated, a serious, contemplative look on his face mixed with worry.

Kuroko fell quiet. "Will … I be alright?"

Kagami gathered him into his arms and stroked his hair, lips kissing Kuroko's sweaty temples. "Of course you will. Whenever you need me, I'll be there."

Kuroko could hear his heart beat faster in his ribcage, fluttering fleetingly. His body became warmer due to their shared body heat, it was decidedly pleasant, soothing. He liked it. "Yes, I know, Kagami-kun." He said softly. He leaned to the redhead's chest, where he could hear the steady pace of Kagami's heart. He couldn't recall hearing anything more comforting.

They couldn't fall asleep again, so Kagami went out to prepare breakfast, after he made sure Kuroko was all right on his own. Kuroko felt better after a while, his headache slipped into light throbs, and the heat decreased to a slighter fever. His shirt was soaked with sweat — it was getting sticky and uncomfortable. He decided to take a shower. He took his things from a duffel bag by the bed and went to the bathroom. He felt better after he'd washed off all the sweat and changed into fresh clothes.

He kept the small jar of the medicine in his jeans pocket, he needed to take it every three hours and feared the repercussion of not adhering to it. After the shower, he returned Kagami's room to pack his stuff. Kagami cooked egg fried rice for them — average portion for Kuroko and large one for the redhead. They chatted and made last minute preparations, until the clock struck 8 A.M. Kuroko took another capsule before they left the house, just in case.

Kagami had booked them tickets for the bullet train, and he'd phoned a cab to come by the neighbourhood, due to Kuroko's condition. He was grateful — and had insisted on paying half of both fares. Kuroko had saved up his allowances for this trip. He couldn't let Kagami pay for everything; Kuroko had his own pride. He adamantly refused to depend too much on the redhead, and Kagami relented in the end.

He didn't know whether it was because it was early Saturday morning, or because some people had started locking themselves up for the Heat Season, but the train car was adequately empty. They were seated in the two-seat section, Kuroko sat next to the window. Kagami had his arm around him and he urged Kuroko's head to rest on his shoulder, caressing his head lazily. There were few other passengers, mostly seated at the back rows, giving them a chance to be a little closer — which the redhead took gladly.

The ride was mostly quiet because the medicine made him drowsy, Kuroko fell asleep on Kagami's shoulder minutes into the departure.

Kagami woke him up when they arrived at the station. Kuroko was feeling dizzy again, due to sleep. They grabbed their bags and left the platform. Since the house was a bit far to reach by foot, Kagami hailed a cab outside of the station and they rode for another ten minutes or so.

When they opened the passenger door, Kuroko was pleasantly surprised at the sight of the house. It was bigger than Kuroko's own home — surrounded by high concrete walls with a pair of wide, wooden panels as front gates. Behind the walls, was a rather big Japanese style two-story house. Kuroko looked around and saw the wall stretched out quite far, disappearing in an intersection. The neighbourhood seemed to be quiet and sparse of people, presumably a suburb housing district.

The redhead joined him after he'd paid the cab — Kuroko paid half the fare — fishing out his cellphone from his jeans pocket.

"I haven't been here for years, I told the caretaker we'll be using it for a while. Hope it's not too dirty in there." He pressed the phone to his ear.

They waited a few shorter minutes, then the gate opened up. A small, middle-aged man named Kobayashi stepped out and greeted them with a bow. He and Kagami chatted for a bit, he handed a bunch of keys to Kagami after a while. Kuroko waited on the sides silently, until the redhead returned, dangling the keys in hand.

"He called the cleaning service last Wednesday. Also, Kobayashi-san stocked up the pantry and the heat room for us. We don't have to go shopping anymore, ain't that neat?" He told Kuroko with a wide, happy grin.

Kuroko stared at him blankly. But didn't that mean the caretaker knew they were going to — Kuroko shook his head. He tried  _very hard_  not to think too much about it, another headache would be one too many things to deal with right now. Kagami, on the other hand, seemed blissfully unaware of his inner predicament.

The caretaker's knowing smile really didn't help the situation, _at all_.

Kobayashi told them goodbye and to enjoy their stay — Kuroko flinched at the latter — before he left the two alone. Hiding his own embarrassment, Kuroko followed Kagami into the estate with his head ducked down.

—

"I haven't been here since we moved to America! It's been a while!" Kagami exclaimed, throwing his huge body down onto the bed. He bounced on the mattress, stretching out his limbs and groaning in satisfaction.

Kuroko lowered his bag down, by the wardrobe, and avoided looking at the bed — opted to look around the room instead. Despite the traditional exterior, the house itself was furnished with modern furniture and had several western rooms. The master bedroom they were presently in, was  _huge_ , with a beautiful interior and a king-sized bed at the center, with an attached bathroom and a walk-in closet. The arrangements were astoundingly stylish, clean and tasteful, and not at all looked like its traditional outer appearance.

"Mom's an interior designer. She redid the house three years ago, when she had some big projects here in Japan." Kagami explained, as if to answer a question Kuroko had in his mind. Now he was sitting at the edge of the bed, stripping off his white and black bomber jacket.

Kuroko snorted. He wondered just how could Kagami read him so well? Even Midorima, who'd known him longer, couldn't achieve that.

"Kuroko, c'mere." Kagami waved at him to come closer.

He obliged, walking over the room until he was standing in front of the redhead. Kagami spread his arms and grinned, urging him to step closer. Kuroko did, and Kagami wrapped his arms around him, hugging his legs and hips, the redhead rested his cheek on his belly. Kuroko felt it was a good thing he'd taken off his jacket beforehand; the zipper would be uncomfortable against Kagami's face.

Kagami hummed low, the vibrations tickled him a bit. "You don't have to take the meds anymore, tonight." He whispered, gaze lifted to look at Kuroko.

Kuroko flushed lightly.

" … yes, I know." Was all he could say.

Kagami did mention that he would be in heat soon, as well. He recalled the memories of the redhead hovered over his naked body, and the skillful fingers that made him come, it roused certain instincts from the depths of his mind. Small swirls of lust seeped through the gaps of the wall built by the Suppressant medicine. Just like how it occurred that morning, the heat started rising up again from the pit of his belly. He vaguely realized he hadn't taken another capsule in a while.

"Kagami-kun," He said, bringing a hand to the back of the Kagami's head. He played with the dark red strands with his fingers. At his call, the redhead looked up at him again. Kuroko gingerly caressed his hair and inhaled deeply.

"Given the choice of who I'd prefer to give myself to, I'd want it to be you." He admitted, feeling the flush of heat gather in his cheeks.

For a split second, Kuroko saw Kagami's eyes flickered from red to golden, only for them to change back to normal. He stared at Kuroko with such a deep, arduous desires, he shivered under the intensity. Kagami's scent thickened, musky and alluring — tempting him. The scent of the heavy seed's pheromone pulled out the hidden bestial instincts with a strong, brusque force, Kuroko found himself giving into the sensations, he felt the heat sweeping him away.

He could feel the haze of lust, still behind the barrier wall, clawing at the protective surface, wanting to penetrate it. And Kuroko was more than willing to let it in and took over him, to drive him up the wall with the fever and illicit passion.

But Kagami looked away, clearing his throat and loosening his grip around Kuroko.

"We… we should eat. It's lunch time, you must be hungry." He said, his voice calm and steady. He stood up and pushed Kuroko away gently by the shoulders, then wordlessly strode towards the entrance door.

"I'll be — I'll be downstairs in the kitchen. To cook. Find me there if you need anything." He said, back to Kuroko, mentioning nothing else when he left. Kuroko was still standing in the same spot, staring where Kagami had vanished.

He stared at the door, dumbfounded and stiff. He hadn't understood even after a few seconds passed by. Then, abruptly, it hit him like falling bricks.

Did he … did he just get rejected by Kagami?

He sat on the bed that was bigger than what he was used to, and contemplated in silence.

He might have overestimated the situation, Kuroko concluded, after a long stretch of thinking. He tried to reason with himself, tried to figure out why Kagami had left him in the cold. It didn't make sense to him. Maybe he misunderstood the situation, Kagami — Kagami had been nothing but vocal about his desires for Kuroko. He did want Kuroko, didn't he? With the initial rejection, he started having doubts about it.

Maybe Kagami changed his mind.

Maybe he decided it was too much, after all, taking care of Kuroko and was tired of waiting until Kuroko agreed to his advances.

Maybe he decided it wasn't worth it. Kagami didn't take off his clothes last time in the health room, and he hadn't tried to touch Kuroko in that way afterwards — actually he hadn't tried anything for a while, other than what he was forced to do. No, that was wrong, there was no way Kagami was like that. He wasn't such a frivolous man. He did tell Kuroko he wanted to go slow with things. He understood Kuroko's discomfort, but that was before they came here. Kuroko tried to convince himself, but failed.

Why? Why had Kagami refused Kuroko again,  _here_ , in the right  _place_ , at the right  _time_ , why?

Could it be — Kuroko felt a lump in his throat when the idea came to his mind — that Kagami thought of getting a different partner?

He felt a surge of irrational anger bubbled up inside him.

The thought of Kagami being with someone else, doing the things he did with Kuroko, made his blood boil in fury. He could feel the dark emotions circle violently like a storm. A hurricane of blackened fervor mingled with the searing heat that had rested dormant within, sucking out all traces of logic and reason from him, in spite of himself. He could hear the animal inside him growl in anger, fangs bared and fur stood on end, instincts flared with territorial possessiveness.

He didn't think he was capable of such strong, dark emotions.

Kuroko couldn't stand it.

Before he could think, Kuroko had slammed the door open and dashed down the stairs. The house was quite big, with unfamiliar hallways and rooms, but he could find the large, joint rooms for the dining and kitchen area fairly quickly. He didn't find Kagami in the kitchen area, but noticed an adjacent door was opened, he smelled dry and raw food ingredients from that direction. The pantry. He swiftly took off and strode past the door.

Kagami was inspecting the shelves of food, surprised when Kuroko abruptly entered without warning.

"Huh? Kuroko, what are you — " He didn't get to finish the question, because Kuroko had shut him up with his lips, arms flung around Kagami's neck.

The redhead was taken aback and he stiffened into the kiss, but Kuroko wasn't going to wait — he licked Kagami's mouth and pushed persistently, nibbling his lips. Kagami suddenly snapped out of his daze, arms enclosed around Kuroko and he kissed back, fiercely returning the sentiment with a passionate finesse, tilting his jaw to deepen the kiss. They began panting heavily, tongues and saliva mingled and mixed. Their lips broke away and locked again, several times, devouring each other with intent. Their bodies flushed close, rubbing sensually.

Minutes later, they broke away a final time, Kuroko pulled away, eyes half-lidded and cheeks flushed hot. Kagami's face was also red, expression twisted with a mix of confusion, shock and unabashed delight. They were still panting in the aftermath, staring into each other's eyes.

"Kuroko, why did you just … ?" Kagami flustered, baffled by Kuroko's sudden boldness.

"Take me to bed." Kuroko calmly told him.

The redhead's jaw dropped.

"Wh - what?" He gaped like a fish.

Kuroko frowned. He didn't wait until his words sunk into Kagami's head, instead he grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the pantry — meanwhile Kagami was still gaping and staring wide-eyed — the redhead almost stumbled in the stairs, forcefully tugged by the insistent, shorter man. They arrived in the bedroom under a minute, Kuroko let go of his hold on Kagami only after they'd stepped inside.

Kagami still looked dumbstruck and confused, standing awkwardly by the entrance. Kuroko moved closer to the bed with his back facing the redhead, slightly unsure, before he decided since he'd already gone so far, he might as well go all the way. He tugged at the hem of his shirt, and pulled it over his head. He could hear a sharp gasp from behind him, but continued quietly. He threw the shirt down the carpeted floor and proceeded to unbutton his jeans' front, the zipper made a loud sound as he unzipped, bending over to peel them off, kicking the pants to join the shirt.

He was now in just his boxers, the last remaining article that covered his humility. Kuroko fingered the elastic hem, before he slowly pulled it downwards, knowing Kagami's gaze was locked on him — observing closely. There was a mirror on the wall across of the bed. Kuroko could see his own reflection; pale, white skin with lines of lean, slight muscle on certain parts of his thin body, his ribs apparent around the torso area. His body didn't look too masculine, despite all the harsh training he went through for Basketball — his face and jawline were soft and rounded, and his complexion was, sometimes, fairer than a girl's. But he wasn't a girl, and he wasn't attractive either. He knew he wasn't particularly desirable.

Even so, he didn't want Kagami to look for another partner.

With the removal of his last shred of clothing, he turned around to the redhead, displaying all of himself willingly, without anything to hide. He still felt the shame. A part of him yelled at him to stop and cover himself, but Kuroko ignored it. Kagami was looking at him, eyes darting up and down Kuroko's body, lips parted and body stiff. Kuroko could feel the vestiges of the medicine still holding back the lust and rush of heat, behind an imagined mental wall. He gritted his teeth. Kuroko knew, by instinct, if he wanted to seduce Kagami, he had to release everything he had — not only the outer covering.

He inhaled deeply, and unlocked the gates of his mental fortress.

He could see, from the reflection in the mirror, that his features started changing, and the wall that protected him crumbled at once. The haze of lust assaulted his mind in full blast, his body brimmed with sweltering heat almost instantaneously. His nails elongated and turned into claws, teeth slightly sharper, pressing against his lips.

The skin around his eyes pricked with a slight discomfort and his ice blue hair blanched several shades, into that of snowy white. His ears stung with a pang as they morphed and lifted from their usual positions; in a few second his ears had transformed into that of a beast with rounded peaks. A thick, white bushy tail grew out of his coccyx. He stopped the transformation then, after the heat entirely returned with a vengeance, not wanting to shape shift into a mere animal.

His breaths were hot in his throat and erratic, Kagami's scent on him was completely overwhelmed by Kuroko's own natural pheromones — increased tenfold with the effect of the heat and the release of his true form. He growled deeply, the heat swirled down and clustered in his crotch, pressuring his dick with powerful arousal. Soon it stood to full attention, flushed pink and hot, wet at the tip.

"Kagami-kun," He called out, voice thick with intent, slipping into a seductive tone. "Don't refuse me this time, please."

Kagami's red eyes flared golden, his pupils shrunk into vertical slits. Before he knew it, Kagami had pushed him into bed, the sheets puffed and rippled in large waves when Kuroko's back hit the surface of the fabric so abruptly. Kuroko looked up and saw stripes forming around the redhead's eyes, his teeth sharpened and snarls escaped his lungs, low and erratic breaths accompanied the rumbles in his voice.

"Don't.  _Provoke_. Me." He growled, deep and forceful. Lust and conflict twisted his features. "I'm fighting the urge to  _fuck_  you right here. Right now."

Kuroko shuddered.

"I don't want you to fight it." He calmly said, even with the heated lust raging a storm within the confines of his head.

Kagami inhaled sharply, snapping his eyes shut. His hands clawed the sheets, tearing the fabric with brute force. "Kuroko, stop — stop for a bit. You're not — you're not thinking rationally right now." He'd said, despite sounding unconvinced of his own resolve.

Kuroko  _growled_  in frustration, he spread his legs and bucked his hips to Kagami's growing bulge, both groaning when their erections rubbing each other. Then he tugged the front of Kagami's shirt, annoyed at how covered the redhead was.

"I don't care. I don't want to think right. I want you." He wanted Kagami to want  _Kuroko_ , but he didn't say it out loud.

Kagami growled long and deep, throaty quivers slipped out between his fangs. He pulled away from Kuroko only to strip off his shirt, nearly tearing it in half, a large rip displayed at the front. Kuroko's breath hitched faster, his gaze swallowed in the sight of Kagami's exposed body, taking in the impossibly beautiful, muscular torso with greed. Kagami kept his ring necklace on, it dangled in mid-air as he bent over Kuroko.

Kuroko's hands reached out to Kagami's shoulders, mapping the shape of his biceps and the hard curves of his arms.

He felt teeth and hands roam all over his body, Kagami's mouth left scorching brands of bites and nips along his sensitive, lust-ridden skin. Kuroko moaned loudly when Kagami bit his nipple and suckled hard, his hands spread Kuroko's legs wider and lifted them up to settle on broad shoulders, coarse palms caressing the inner of his thighs, torturously. Kuroko's dick twitched with short jerks, abandoned, and throbbing painfully.

"Kagami-kun, oh,  _hhhnnn_  — " His lips quivered, head tossed and eyes shut, fingers clutching at red hair.

"I've always  _wanted_  to do  _this_. I never get to enjoy your body — and there you are, in front of me. In my arms, but I wasn't  _allowed_  to touch;  _not yet, not that place, don't touch too much_  — so many restrictions. You can't imagine what a  _torture_  it was for me." Kagami whispered against his skin, his lips moved down his belly, tongue making wet trails.

" — all of you,  _naked_  for me, in the bathroom, then at school — you were  _so tempting_  — and I  _had_  to hold back every  _damn_  time. Don't you know it drove me  _insane_?"

Kuroko almost screamed when his cock was suddenly engulfed in an intensely wet warmth — Kuroko glanced down and stared wide-eyed at the sight of Kagami, his dick disappeared into the redhead's oral cavity. Kagami sucked on the head, the flat of his tongue trailed along the vein of his shaft and teased the slit with short flicks of the tip, reducing Kuroko into a mess of wails and whimpers. Kuroko forced a hand to cover his mouth, another balling into a fist in Kagami's hair.

"Kagami — ah, ah,  _aah_. Don't suck so  _hard_  — !" He felt like coming, but he didn't want to yet, it was too soon. He still wanted  _more_  of Kagami.

A hand replaced the mouth, and Kagami continued jerking his cock, his lips left to nip and kiss Kuroko's thigh. He breathed in deeply and nosed around the area of his crotch — where the scent had the strongest musk. Kuroko resisted the urge to throw his head back in pleasure, biting back a loud, arduous moan. His throat echoed with a dragged out, high-pitched whine instead.

"No, Kagami-kun, I'll come." He gasped hoarsely, attempting to push away Kagami's hand that was jerking his shaft in fast strokes.

The redhead chuckled, sucking a spot on the sensitive, tender flesh of his inner thigh, purposely leaving his marks. "So come. I'll just continue  _enjoying_  myself here."

Kagami stroked him twice more, Kuroko coming the first time, he spurted hard all over his belly, arching his back and stifling a groan. Kagami pulled his hand away and took him in his mouth again, his dick pumped out the remains of his load into the redhead's mouth, and Kagami suckled eagerly, licking him clean. Kuroko watched dazedly as Kagami dragged his tongue to lave his shaft, his hand aimlessly spreading the whitish substance on his stomach.

"Please don't do that." Kuroko uttered shyly. His body shook when he was hard again in Kagami's mouth, realizing he couldn't squirm his legs with Kagami settled in between them. The haze of lust heightened to a new level, fuelled by the heavy seed's pheromones. He felt light-headed, Kagami's scent was getting heavier and stronger, strengthening the heated desires within him.

"I like tasting you." Kagami boldly admitted. He withdrew and moved up, hovering above Kuroko, a wide grin on his face.

Kuroko flushed under his gaze. "You sound like you want to eat me, Kagami-kun."

"That's right. I want to eat you up, so you'd be all  _mine_  — nobody else can have you."

Kagami returned to claim his lips again. Kuroko wound his arms around the redhead's neck, kissing him back just as ardently. Their fangs clanked against each other, tongues mingling. Kuroko groaned into the kiss when he felt a hand on his dick again, pumping him. Kuroko tentatively glanced down at the bulge on Kagami's crotch. Kagami hadn't come once and was still wearing his jeans. He tugged at the redhead by his hair, forcefully breaking their kiss.

"You're still wearing your jeans. Take them off, please." He pointed out, pouting.

Kagami laughed, but obliged willingly.

He pushed himself off the bed to strip off his jeans — Kuroko sat and waited. His heart rate accelerated when he had a close look at Kagami's cock for the first time, fully hard and standing impressively. He knew Kagami was big before, but when it hardened, it was huge. Kagami was long and thick, tan like the rest of him but now darkened red with arousal — he wasn't sure if his hand could fully wrap around Kagami's dick, but Kuroko knew he was probably exaggerating.

"Don't stare so much, I'll get embarrassed." Kagami said, face red, scratching the back of his head.

Kuroko swallowed the lump that gathered in the back of his throat. He flushed. "Will it fit? I mean, inside me. "

The redhead stiffened. "Do you want it to?"

" … yes."

Kagami took a sharp intake of air, a hand over his face. His dick was twitching visibly, as if it had a mind of its own. " _Fuck_ , I almost lost it — you really need to stop provoking me, Kuroko. I'll seriously attack you."

Kuroko frowned, irritated. He bounced on the mattress, to sit on the edge of the bed, just inches away from the redhead.

"And I'm telling you, I don't want you to fight it." He said.

He stayed still and unsure for a moment, before he decided mentally, fingers reaching for Kagami's erection. He heard a stifled groan when he wrapped his digits around the hot shaft. It was thick but it fit snugly in his palms, even if he couldn't wrap his hand in a full circle around it. He gave an experimental stroke, mesmerized with the way it jerked and jumped in his hold.

"Shit —  _wait_. Stop." Kagami put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away. Kuroko halted his movement. "You're so shy and innocent usually, but sometimes you say and do the boldest things — the difference is confusing." He said, scratching the back of his head.

Kuroko huffed. "Kagami-kun, I'm a man too. I get curious … about these things." He stated, matter-of-factly. "I'm still unaccustomed to this, and I can't help but be embarrassed when you do unexpected things, like what you just did to me, with — with your mouth." He flushed red and lowered his gaze, suddenly feeling adequately shy when he realized what he was doing. He withdrew his hands and kept it tucked over his lap.

"It's just that I, I wish to see Kagami-kun feel good, too. I don't want to be the only one feeling pleasure." He admitted, his fingers fiddling idly on his lap. He braved himself to look the redhead in the eye. "Kagami-kun, didn't you say you want to eat me? … then please, do so."

Kagami bit his lip.

The silence only stretched for a few seconds, before the redhead opened his mouth. "… get on your hands and knees, face down. I'll prep you first."

Kuroko thought about it and scooted onto the center of the bed. He flipped himself over and tried out the position, hands and knees on the bed sheet, on all fours. But soon found he grew more anxious the longer he stayed that way. Kagami was hovering above him from behind, his shadow fell on to white sheets. He held his hips when Kuroko went rigid and tense, which didn't go unnoticed by the redhead.

"Kuroko, what's wrong?" A question came from his back, close to his ear.

"I — I don't think I like this — this position."

It screamed of  _submission_ , Kuroko thought. It felt foreign, detached and  _cold_ , as if a stranger was touching him. He hated the way it made him seem vulnerable and weak, small. Submissive. He couldn't see Kagami this way, and it made him anxious.

"I can't see you, Kagami-kun. I don't like it." He whispered against the bed sheets, his claws balled into fists, quivering.

He heard a low, guttural sound from behind him.

Kuroko let out a surprised yelp when he was suddenly flipped over, now lying on his back instead. He blinked several times. Kagami leaned down and kissed him softly. "We'll do it the way you want it." He whispered, hot breath caressed Kuroko's cheeks.

The redhead urged him to put his hands on his shoulders, and it made Kuroko feel much better as he could feel Kagami's body heat through the tips of his fingers, soothing him.

He dazedly stared at Kagami's body, sculpted finely with muscles and captivating curves of flesh. He couldn't resist the temptation to slide his hands from Kagami's shoulders, trailing his fingers along the dark stripes — his palms slicked with sweat beaded on tan skin — down to the protruding bones and the dips of Kagami's collarbone. He stared, enthralled. Kagami's body was perfect — as a man and an athlete. He leisurely caressed lower, to the redhead's masculine pecks, feeling the skin with the palm of his hands. His gaze went down to the rippled abs of Kagami's stomach, throat suddenly parched.

"You like my body?" Kagami teased, chuckling softly.

Kuroko made a  _sigh_  of approval. "Yes, Kagami-kun. You're so … different from me." He said, his hand slid up and down Kagami's torso, mapping the terrains of his body in minute details.

"You can touch it all you want," Kagami leaned down and started kissing his neck. "I like your body too, Kuroko. Your skin is beautiful, and you fit perfectly in my arms, when I hold you."

"That's embarrassing…"

The redhead laughed. "Said the guy who came onto me. The sun's still high, yet you still went and seduced me."

He flushed furiously. "That's because Kagami-kun was — "

He moaned when Kagami sucked on thin layer of skin, where a blood vein ran under it. And a hand roamed over the dried mess on his belly. "I was what?"

Kuroko gasped, trying to regain his composure to speak properly. "I thought you didn't want me anymore…"

Kagami stopped, pulling back and giving him an incredulous look. "That's  _fucking_  ridiculous. Where did you get that idea?" He blurted in disbelief.

Kuroko felt heat rushing up his cheeks, he averted his gaze, feeling ashamed. "Because — because you refused me. Back at school, and earlier."

He heard a heavy sigh being drawn, he glanced up and saw Kagami was ducking his head, scratching the back of his nape.

"I was trying to be considerate. I didn't want to look like I want to take advantage of your condition. I already told you that. I can't believe you thought — I always want you, okay? Anytime, anywhere. Just so we're clear. I'm not exactly hiding it." He cupped Kuroko's jaw and looked into his eyes. "I want you more and more everyday, Kuroko, especially now. Get it?"

Kuroko's heart beat loudly in his ears, chest tightened. He could only nod.

The redhead grinned.

"Good. I'm gonna  _show_  you, exactly what I mean."

His breath hitched faster, and the lust came back to him at once, when Kagami's hand took hold of the base of his cock, stroking it back to full hardness. He mewled, head tossing about, moaning Kagami's name. It was the second time, yet he felt like coming again. He bit his lip and scraped his claws on Kagami's shoulder, — he scored trails of welts there — he didn't want to come so fast.

"Aah, ah — Kagami-kun, wait. What about — what about you?" He distracted himself from the need to come, half-lidded gaze glanced at Kagami's stiff shaft.

Kagami made a noncommittal grunt.

" 's okay. When I come, it'll be because I'm inside you." The lustful desire shone in golden feline eyes made Kuroko gulp unconsciously.

Kuroko could feel his legs were spread to the limit of their capability, and he flushed with deep embarrassment, when Kagami pulled away and just stared, hands holding up his legs to keep them apart. Unlike on the court, where he was loudly passionate and brash, the kind of predation Kagami showed now was silent, unabashed and deeply arousing. Kuroko's dick trembled, earning a chuckle from the redhead. A hand slid down from his thigh and Kuroko could feel something nudged at his back entrance.

Kagami's eyes widened, jaw dropping.

" _Fuck_  — you're  _wet_  here. How's that possible?" He growled, tone husky. He looked shocked, face twisted in a mix of fascination and confusion.

"I — I don't know." Kuroko uttered, suddenly felt the need to hide. He did feel a strange wetness coming out of his backside, but he had thought it was his come dripping down that area. He didn't think it was — he didn't get it, he wasn't a girl, how could he get wet? Was it normal, when in heat? He didn't know what to say. He never heard of this kind of thing in his lifetime.

The redhead dipped a finger in, and unlike the first time, it went in smoothly, without much resistance. Kagami cursed under his breath, his stripes darkening and jaw clenching. His scent burned deeper and muskier. Kuroko could see the tiger floating over him, swaying and staring down at him with a predatory glare, as if Kuroko was his prey.

"It's so… soft. And fuck, it's hot." Kagami muttered, in disbelief and increased wonder. "It wasn't like this yesterday. You couldn't have fingered yourself, I was watching over you, you were sleeping all the time. I'd smell it on you, if you did. How does this happen?" He clucked his tongue, the finger went in and out with ease. His feline eyes stared with visible amazement.

He shook his head in response, too ashamed and confused to say anything more. Kuroko started feeling an itch growing inside of him, his body burning up with Kagami's touch. His head hazy with lust.

When Kagami added another finger and dug deep inside of him, Kuroko intuitively cried out. His back arched in a violent jolt and head thrown back, and he spilled a second time with a long, throaty groan. The mess splattered across his torso, all the way to his chest. Kagami blinked, eyes widened and mouth hung agape. Kuroko threw an arm over his eyes, his complexion flushed deep red and skin heated with shame. He felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide there.

" … shit!"

Kagami's warmth left him, and Kuroko was suddenly too cold. He peeked from under his arm and saw Kagami go over to the bedside table, opened the top drawer and fished out a small bottle. He returned quickly, the lid of the bottle clicked open and a generous amount of its content poured into his hand — transparent liquid that looked slippery. Kuroko watched as Kagami stroke himself, coating the sleek substances all over his cock, from the head down to the base. He was panting erratically, hisses escaped his lips as he stroked his dick urgently, eyes locked onto Kuroko's soiled sex.

Seconds later, he closed the gap between them, hands reaching for and holding up Kuroko's thighs. He settled himself in between the spread legs, urging Kuroko to wrap them around his waist. "Hold on to me." He rasped, gaze heavy with lust. Kuroko felt a sharp chill climbing up his spines, and he nodded, positioning his calves to twist around Kagami's waist and tangle over his back, his hands clutching muscular shoulders. He could feel the head of Kagami's cock nudge against his hole, and Kuroko took several deep inhales, bracing himself.

He heard Kagami breathe deeply, and Kuroko gasped when something bigger than fingers started spreading him apart from the rims, intruding his entrance at a snail's pace. It was hot and hard, he felt a dull ache sting him from below, it wasn't too much — but it was very uncomfortable. His breathing was uneven now, claws scraping against tan skin. He shut his eyes when Kagami slowly entered past the rims, halfway inside, hearing a deep, lustful groan came from above him.

He opened his eyes and saw Kagami was clamping his eyes shut, face twisted in pleasure and soft moans escaped his lips. He was breathing heavily, jaw clenching and face dripping with sweat. He looked sexy, lost in the midst of pleasure, inside of Kuroko. This was the first time Kuroko saw such alluring expression on the tiger, it made him preen with pride, to have been the cause of it. He felt a strong urge to see more.

Kagami stopped on his track, a quarter way before he sheathed fully inside.

"Kuroko… are you alright? I can go in pretty smoothly, but, how are you?" Kagami asked, voice husky and golden eyes flared open, slightly disoriented.

"I — I feel fine, Kagami-kun. There is discomfort and some pain, but — I'm alright." Kuroko said, breathing slowly, due to the pressure from his backside.

Kagami was huge, it was difficult to get used to his size. The dull ache still stung him, but Kuroko could handle pain better than most people. They waited for a short while, until Kuroko grew used to the foreign feelings of being intruded. When he tried to shift into a more comfortable position, he earned a pleasured gasp from the redhead. In the same time, he whimpered and saw white, feeling Kagami moved in him, brushing against a sensitive spot.

"Don't do that. I'm trying hard not to slam myself into you and fuck you senseless." Kagami warned, fangs bared, his gaze flashed with carnal ardor. The stripes on his skin fluttered, colour flickering between darker and lighter shades.

It took several breaths for Kuroko to recover from the initial sensation.

"You can move now, Kagami-kun. You can do whatever you want." Kuroko breathed out, feeling the pleasure building up bit by bit behind the pain. The itch grew stronger, knowing Kagami was deep inside of him, but still not moving. The redhead was hot and hard and felt good, because of Kuroko. The feeling elated him.

Kagami growled, he jerked his hips experimentally, irregular at first, before setting a pace.

When he started hitting the same spot, Kuroko began spilling moans and gasps. "Haa — ! Kagami-kun, oh, ooh, — " Kuroko could feel his inner thigh muscles spasm. He mewled and moaned loudly as Kagami rutted into him slow and steady, scraping his insides and hitting that spot repeatedly. His arm wound around Kagami's neck and fingers balled in red hair, another went under Kagami's shoulder to settle on his back, clawing bright red marks along the curve of flesh there.

"Hmm," Kagami hummed, lips stretched into a wide grin as he sped up, pistoling in and out with a fast, staccato rhythm. "Good?" He asked, teasingly.

Kuroko was being rapidly reduced to a mess of incoherent babbles, mouth hanging agape with constant moaning and gasping. Spit bounced out when he spoke, dripping down his chin.

"Y — yes! _Ah, ah, aah_  — feels good — " He arched his back with a jolt when Kagami rammed in particularly  _hard_ , his knees shaking from the impact.

Kuroko didn't know if it was because of the heat that he was enjoying his first time having sex so much — he had heard it would hurt and it did, but the pleasure overcame the pain rather quickly. His body was so achingly sensitive and lustful, everything Kagami did to him was more than enough to compensate the discomfort.

His crotch was growing heavy with pressure, his dick had recovered its vitality, stiffening and leaking at the tip, bobbing about with their erratic pace. Kagami moved inside of him, bigger and harder than before, driving him up the wall with the intensity of the heat. Pre-come began beading at the slit of his dick, minuscule drops flying off with each thrust and mixing with the sleek coat of sweat on pale skin.

"Kagami-kun, Kagami-kun," Kuroko moaned the name repeatedly as he clawed the redhead's back, feeling Kagami convulsed inside him every time he did. He learned that Kagami liked it when Kuroko called his name, with his voice breaking in the heat of the moment. He loved listening to the indecent noises Kuroko made.

" _Fuck, Kuroko!_ " Kagami cursed as he held Kuroko's hips tightly, his entire body glistened in sweat and beads of it dripped from his hair. His face scrunched up with focus. "You're so fucking sexy. I want to slam into you so  _hard_ , I don't want to stop." He growled out, sounding more and more beastly than humane. Kuroko could feel the sharp claws digging into his hips, holding him in place as Kagami rutted into him faster.

"I —  _aahh_  — I don't mind," Kuroko tried to say, voice slipping into whimpers soon afterwards. It was difficult to form coherent words at this point, and he was too far gone to care.

"You. Shouldn't. Provoke. Me." Kagami barked, eyes wild and flared with a burning flame. He jerked his hips harder and faster as if making a point, making Kuroko moan, his own hips snapping to meet Kagami's demanding thrusts. The bed creaked violently beneath them. The room was filled with the pleasured noises they made, skin slapped against skin created wet, obscene sounds, evidence of their passionate lovemaking.

In the midst of the haze of lust, Kuroko noticed how Kagami's pheromones had increased by several folds. His body brimmed with sweltering heat and he had a dazed look on his face, driven mad with lust. The strong, masculine scent assaulted Kuroko's senses, and his body responded willingly, becoming even more sensitive and prone to pleasure.

Kagami was in heat.

The realization became an arousing incentive for him, Kuroko couldn't resist the urge to start kissing and biting at Kagami's neck, his legs wrapped more tightly around his waist, so Kagami could go in deeper. The redhead groaned loudly when Kuroko nipped and sucked, his thrusts became more erratic and desperate. Kuroko could feel Kagami was close, he was convulsing madly inside of him, eager for a release. He detached a hand from Kagami's back to stroke his own shaft, needing to come.

"Shit! I'm gonna — " Kagami exclaimed and tried to pull away, realizing after he'd withdrawn five inches that he couldn't pull out completely due to Kuroko's hold on him. He bared his fangs and came, hard and long, gushing into Kuroko's insides and filling him up within seconds.

Kuroko gasped loudly when he felt something hot spilling into him, Kagami's dick was still hard and hot, the sensation drove him off the edge and he came as well, spurting onto his stomach for the third time. He threw his head back and rode the explosive orgasm — the most intense he had so far. His hands vacated from Kagami's back to drop onto the bed limply, legs untangled, his chest heaved up and down with heavy breaths. He felt spent and boneless.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry, Kuroko. I didn't mean to come inside. Shit — I forgot the condom like an  _idiot_!" He whimpered when Kagami pulled out of him, his head lolled up to stare at the redhead absent-mindedly. He could feel something drip out of his ass. Kagami looked both horrified and gratified, at the same time.

"Why?" He asked, genuinely curious.

The redhead looked at him incredulously, still panting heavily. "What do you mean,  _why_? It's polite not to, and it's troublesome to clean up afterwards. I don't carry any diseases, but your stomach'll hurt if we leave it alone. I'll go fetch a wet towel to clean you up."

Kuroko glanced down to the redhead's crotch. "You're still hard." He stated bluntly, looking up at Kagami again. "Kagami-kun, you're in heat, aren't you?"

"J — just leave it alone, I'll take care of it the bathroom. You should rest."

He huffed, it was true that while he might not have much stamina, Kuroko wasn't one to give up on a game until it was over. He brought his hands to hold up his legs, propping himself up by the elbows and spreading his thighs apart. He could see Kagami went rigid from the corner of his eyes, gaze locked onto Kuroko's form. Kuroko inhaled and gathered his wits, he focused until he could feel his pheromones started getting stronger again, he looked Kagami in the eyes, legs opened up seductively.

"Kagami-kun, please don't hold back. I am not made of glass." He detached a hand and began stroking his own dick, hissing as renewed vitality bouncing back as if he hadn't come three times in a row, getting hard yet again. Being in heat made it seem like Kuroko was built for the purpose of sex. It was strangely intriguing, he thought to himself, pumping his dick and giving Kagami a graphic view.

It wasn't long before Kagami pushed him down again, face red with a lust-crazed look. Kuroko yelped when he felt fingers prodding his soiled hole, scooping out what was inside. He shuddered with faint quivers, biting back a moan. "Kuroko, you're  _asking_  for this. Don't blame me when it's over." Kagami snarled deeply, licking and biting at his ears.

Unexpectedly, Kuroko laughed, circling an arm around the redhead's neck. "Kagami-kun, when will you realize that I want this, too?"

Kagami flushed a deep red in response.

They did it again a second time, this time Kagami insisted on wearing a condom — Kuroko didn't mind. He was still hard but mostly exhausted, so when Kagami came again, and made Kuroko come, the latter fell asleep soon after.

—

When he woke up, Kuroko realized he'd been cleaned and clothed in a bathrobe — the bed sheets were changed, too. Kagami was nowhere to be found.

Kuroko felt sore and drowsy, when he tried to sit, a sharp pain shot up his spine and he yelped, clutching at his throbbing backside. So this was what they said about the aftermath of sex, the soreness and the dull ache were quite something. He tried not to move too much — sitting alone was apparently a chore. Before he knew it, his stomach started grumbling and Kuroko realized how starved he was.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and it was already afternoon, 05:10 P.M., they had arrived around 2 and he hadn't eaten anything for lunch. They had sex for quite a long time as well, he recalled, and Kuroko just fell asleep right after, from the exertion. No wonder he was so hungry. Kuroko felt a heated flush rushed to his cheeks, at the memory.

It looked like the heat had cooled down for now, but he was sure it would come back as soon as he regained his energy and filled his stomach. He could feel the lust was staying at bay. He also wondered where Kagami had gone to. Deciding his next move, Kuroko crawled out of the bed — his knees were like jelly and were shaking involuntarily, but it wasn't too much that he'd fall from it. He reached for the wall for support and maneuvered himself to the bathroom, needing to wash his face.

It took longer than usual, but he managed to enter the bathroom without stumbling awkwardly. There was a large mirror stretched out above the sink and Kuroko realized he was still transformed into his were form, although his tail had vanished some time ago, he couldn't recall. His ears were still that of bestial shape, his hair snowy white and eyes, icy blue with enlarged irises, the area around his eyes darkened like he was wearing black eyeliner. He hadn't seen this form for years.

A white fox. Just like his grandmother was.

He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He withdrew everything back into the mental fortress of his mind. When he opened his eyes again, he found his features had turned back into that of a complete human. He grabbed the water faucet and twisted, washing his face with the fresh liquid. He wondered if he should change clothes, too. The clothes he was wearing before had been mysteriously moved and hung by the bathroom door, presumably by Kagami.

Kuroko decided to change, after all. He stripped off the robe, stopped in his track and was dumbstruck when he saw bruises and marks, covering his entire body, they were on his back, arms, torso, even his crotch area and legs. Teeth marks, welts, hickeys and nail scores of varying shapes and sizes, were particularly clustered in shameful areas like his neck, crotch and thighs. He looked like he had been making love with a beast, not a human.

Kuroko couldn't resist the urge to facepalm.

Oh, he should've known.

Thinking about it too much made his head hurt, and Kuroko was too tired, hungry and sore, to be upset. So he ignored it, and threw his shirt and jeans on. At least with them on, he couldn't see most of the marks — except for the obvious ones on his neck. He wouldn't be able to go outside with those. It was a good thing he'd packed up some concealers just in case, Kuroko sighed deeply.

When he left the bathroom, a delicious smell wafted in the air. Kuroko went downstairs — slowly and carefully — and found Kagami was cooking in the kitchen. The fragrance of freshly cooked meals made his mouth water and his stomach growl viciously. Rubbing his tummy, Kuroko walked into the dining area, Kagami noticed his presence almost immediately.

"Hey, you okay? Sorry I left you alone, I was hungry." He greeted, grinning ear to ear, looking radiant and unusually energetic. He was expertly stir-frying a bunch of vegetables and meat in a large pan, the ingredients rolled and mixed evenly in mid-air, as he flipped the pan like a pro.

"I'm alright. Just a bit sore." Kuroko said. He didn't want to reveal how sore he really was, masculine pride still intact.

Kagami just hummed his response, too busy with cooking. "Just sit over there and I'll be done in a minute. We'll eat together."

Kuroko looked at the big dining table. He pulled out one of chairs nearest to him and sat. A jolting ache immediately shot up his spine and he grimaced soundlessly, he ducked his head until his forehead touched the cool wooden surface. Kagami was oblivious and was humming an unknown song happily, cooking with gusto.

Kuroko rubbed his backside miserably. He wondered how he'd survive the week, without actually dying.

—

TBC.

—


	5. A Little Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hellooo guys! :-D Thanks for the support as always! I really enjoy all the comments, faves and subsribes! :-)
> 
> No Weremanity Glossary until I feel the need to explain specific things (I think I already covered most of the basics already). Yeah, this chapter is practically honeymoon period for Kagami and Kuroko. Though, I don’t think I’d write full smuts like last time (because first time is special!). :D There’s been questions, as always, about Kuroko’s true form, and I all I can say is, you should read the story to find out the answers yourself. :D
> 
> Latest Version is edited and proofed by KC!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 5: A Little Promise

—

It was as if he'd unleashed a beast from within Kagami.

"Hey, what you doing there?" The redhead whispered in his ear, his hands casually caressed Kuroko's waist. The breaths were hot against his ear and he shivered involuntarily, the hands slowly made their way onto his belly, rubbing lazy circles.

"Washing dishes." Kuroko squeezed watery soap on a greasy plate, to wash away the oil, and continued scrubbing with a white sponge.

It was obvious what he was doing, scrubbing dirty plates in the kitchen sink after they had had their early dinner. Clearly, that wasn't what Kagami was aiming at. The redhead hummed, Kuroko felt warm lips brush against the nape of his neck, and the hands on his belly snaked under his shirt trailing upwards. He couldn't help but quiver slightly at the sudden contact.

The plate slipped from his soaped fingers with a  _clang_  when Kagami caressed the small buds on his chest, licking his ears and dipping his tongue into the canal. The squelching sounds were so close to his eardrums, it made Kuroko's knees a little weak. Unintended warmth began swarming his body, making it flush, and Kagami's pheromones burned heavy in his nostrils.

"Kagami-kun, what are you doing?" He said, voice huskier than he'd intended.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kagami chuckled softly. His ministrations escalated when he started lifting Kuroko's shirt up to his chest for better excess.

Kuroko had tried not to gasp luridly, squirming when the redhead pulled at his nipple, alternating between caressing and teasing. Another hand was going up and down his torso, settling dangerously close south of his tummy. Kuroko's hands reached for the slippery edge of the sink and clutched tightly, his back bent and head ducked, fighting off the Haze that nudged at the back of his head.

"But, we're in the kitchen." He reasoned. Surely, Kagami could see how odd this situation was. It wasn't a proper location for sex, was it?

He yelped softly when the redhead bit his earlobe.

"Nobody else is in the house. Just us." He growled huskily, then bent his head to suck on a large hickey that was already on Kuroko's neck from before, earning a moan from the shorter boy.

Kuroko clenched his teeth, laboring to breathe properly. "But — but there's nowhere to do … it."

Now that his stomach was filled and he recovered his energy, the heat began assaulting him. In a while, he'd want Kagami again, he knew it very well. Instead of answering, Kagami's hand vacated from Kuroko and he reached for the kitchen towel. A bit surprised, when Kuroko was about to ask what the redhead was doing, Kagami wiped the soap off of Kuroko's hands until they were dry and clean.

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko had been confused, when Kagami quietly took his hand and led him to the empty countertop just a few steps away from the sink, and turned Kuroko against the edge by the shoulders. He gasped in surprise when Kagami suddenly lifted him up to sit on the considerably wide counter, he winced soundlessly when his bottom touched the hard surface.

"We can do it right here, on this counter." Kagami calmly told him, hands spread left and right of Kuroko, and a wicked grin graced his face.

Kuroko had actually exploded in red.

"I — I don't understand." He gaped, trying to move back but Kagami caught him by the hips, effectively trapping him in place.

The redhead leaned in and nuzzled against his chest, Kuroko could feel his mouth nipping over the cloth, hands stroking his thighs suggestively. "You don't want to?" He asked, glancing up at Kuroko.

Kuroko swallowed. "It's not that…. I don't want to, Kagami-kun." Truthfully he'd love to, partly because the Heat was beginning to affect him again, and partly because he had grown to  _really_  like sex with Kagami. But this was too embarrassing for him, he did not want to imagine Kagami making love to him on the kitchen counter. That was just — he didn't even know what to think.

"… I'm still sore. And — and the counter is hard on my back. I don't want it to hurt." He said, and it was the truth. The marble counter might look impressive and chic, but not only was it hard as rock, it was icy cold too. If having sex on the bed already cost him so much soreness and discomfort, he didn't want to imagine what the counter would do to him.

It looked like his point finally sunk into Kagami's head, because his eyes widened and he looked immediately guilty. "Shit, sorry. I didn't think that through. Of course you'd be sore after your first time, sorry for being insensitive." He said, quickly withdrawing and letting Kuroko off the counter at once, more carefully this time.

Kuroko sighed in relief.

That didn't stop Kagami from resuming his advances however. His hands lingered on Kuroko, over the delicate slope where the curve of his back and hips met. He stood close, inhaling his hair and nuzzling his ear. Kuroko could practically smell Kagami's pheromones peaking by the second, especially in such close proximity. His own body had been responding to it obligingly, growing more and more heated and aroused.

He concluded, that since they'd coupled, Kuroko's inner bestial instincts confirmed Kagami as his mate, in mind and physical sense. Thus, he reacted faster to Kagami's need to mate with him now. He could hear the animal side of him purr inwardly when Kagami embraced him, withdrawing only to look at Kuroko, lust written in his scarlet-tinted gaze.

"Let's go to bed?" His tone was deep and throaty, evocative.

It wasn't even late in the evening, Kuroko saw the clock some fifteen minutes ago after they'd finished eating, it had read 07:02 P.M.. He was aware of the implication, after all he'd heard stories of people in heat — especially couples — who locked themselves in their houses for the full duration of the week, until the Heat Season passed. Of course he knew what they did. It didn't stop him from feeling understandably shy now that he was in the same position, even if the feelings were mutual.

"Okay." He quietly said, taking a hold of the redhead's arm.

He let Kagami lead him to the bedroom this time. As soon as they arrived, Kuroko was pushed against the door and kissed vigorously, hands pulling up his shirt. Kuroko, mind clouded with lust, raised his arms and let Kagami pull the shirt over his head — then they crashed their lips together again, his hands going up and down Kagami's chest to feel the enticing curves under the cloth, grumbling into the kiss and pulling at the front impatiently. Kagami groaned appreciatively, his own hands snaking over Kuroko's exposed skin, tweaking his nipple and palming his crotch.

They stumbled awkwardly on their way to the bed, kissing ferociously while attempting to undress one another, tangling their limbs as a result. Somewhere along the way, Kuroko managed to pull off Kagami's shirt, he felt his pride inflamed when he saw his own marks and nail scores decorated Kagami's chest and shoulders. He purred huskily, pleased, and then proceeded to undo the redhead's zipper, both already hot and bothered. Before he knew it, they'd fallen onto the bed, Kagami's back on the cushions and Kuroko on top of him. He blinked, not quite understanding yet, because he hadn't pushed Kagami.

"You said you're sore, we can work with that." The redhead licked his lips mischievously, gripping Kuroko's hips to straddle him over his own. "You can ride on top of me. Set your own pace."

Kuroko sat in surprise, he blushed at the suggestion, but didn't think to refuse immediately.

"Is that possible…?" He'd asked, budding curiosity growing inside of him.

Kagami looked pleased with his reply, hot palms stroking over his slim frame slowly, earning a delighted shudder. "Yeah, 'course. I'll help you, show it how."

The redhead unbuttoned Kuroko's jeans and unzipped, and Kuroko let him tug his jeans and underwear down, lifting himself by the knees to remove them one leg at a time. Kagami growled deeply when Kuroko was fully nude on top of him, he felt hands with slightly sharpened claws squeezed his buttocks. He was half erect himself, and he could feel Kagami's bulge rubbing against the junction between his hole and balls, already hard and eager, stifled under his boxers.

Kuroko's form was flushed pink with heat and arousal. He shifted slightly to tug down the hem of Kagami's underwear and release the stiffening shaft, earning a grateful, hoarse groan from the man under him. The redhead's cock bounced out freely, brushing against the cleft of his ass, hot and slightly wet. Kuroko reached behind him, his fingers wrapped loosely over the head of Kagami's shaft and gave an experimental buck.

"Fuck," Kagami cursed softly, golden-tinted gaze flashed wickedly at him. Kuroko gasped when Kagami spread his cheeks, his cock grinding against the rims of his entrance, but never quite entering. After a few teasing strokes he started to feel a little frustrated. He felt the dampness began leaking out of the tight hole, his body opening up, relaxing, and dick twitching.

"Kagami-kun, please don't tease me." He'd say, half-pleading and half-pouting. Nails sharpened into claws, digging onto Kagami's rippled abs, the action wasn't enough to track lines over tan skin.

Kagami chuckled. He detached a hand to fish out a small bottle of lubricant and a packet of condom from the pocket of his jeans, squeezed out the contents of the bottle into his palm. He rubbed the slick, gel fluid between his digits and reached behind Kuroko, one hand pinched one cheek to expose the rim. Then, Kagami pushed in one slick finger.

Kuroko moaned, delighted, he threw his head back and lifted his hips, unconsciously moving his hips to take Kagami's digit deeper inside him. "Hhmmmm,  _ooh_ ," He chewed his lips, sweat beading on his temples.

"You're already wet over here. I wonder if I even needed the lube." Kagami said with a wide grin, drinking in the sight displayed before him greedily. He added another finger, and Kuroko was suddenly breathless, the fingers scissoring and stretching inside felt good. He couldn't help but move up and down by himself, palms pushing against Kagami's torso to steady his movement.

Kagami didn't seem to mind, stripes already formed on his skin. His fingers touched the spot that made Kuroko squirm, hard. "It's soft and tight, I'll get impatient again. I wanna ram in hard, you know?  _See_?" He added a third finger, and Kuroko's knees nearly gave out. "Your body is all ready for me to take, you're clamping on my fingers. Do you want me that badly?"

Kuroko blushed. "Don't talk like that… you're embarrassing me."

"Sorry, I like it when you blush — I can't help myself. You're so  _fucking_  cute and sexy, Kuroko." Kuroko whined when Kagami withdrew his fingers, tore the condom package with his teeth and slid his dick into the thin condom. Hands grabbed his hips and lifted Kuroko over his cock.

Kuroko inhaled sharply, back arched into a bow, when Kagami entered him. " _Aaaah_ , Kagami-kun — !" He breathed out, harshly. He was being stretched to the limit of his capability, the pressure still foreign and uncomfortable, but tinges of pleasure were building up underneath the dull pressure, like a slowly boiling kettle.

He came several minutes into Kagami moving inside of him from below, thrusting in him slow and steady, as if taking his time. The redhead was watching Kuroko closely, almost never blinking, as the latter bounced up and down on top of him. Even after Kuroko came onto his abs, he merely used a hand to wipe the mess and brought it to his lips, licking it clean. His eyes locked with Kuroko's.

The sight aroused Kuroko, he was getting hard again from it, moaning and gasping loudly as Kagami continued to grind into him. Needing more of Kagami, and limbs weakening with strain, Kuroko bent his back so they could kiss. Hands wandered across Kagami's perfect physique. Their moans muffled and joint in their passionate kisses.

When Kagami came, he pulled out of Kuroko just before, removing the condom and spurting onto his rim. Kuroko could feel the warm fluid drip from his entrance, as if Kagami had actually come inside. It made him feel strangely pleased. They weren't quite done yet, so Kagami sat up and settled Kuroko on his lap. He tied up the soiled condom, and threw it to the floor.

Kuroko wound his arms around the redhead's neck and Kagami had his hands on his back. He brandished a fresh packet, tearing it out and slipping it on again before entering Kuroko. They continued that way for a while, making love and kissing. Kagami was biting his ears, down to the large tendon of his bruised neck. Kuroko clawed muscular back when the pleasure became too much. Their bodies were sweat slicked, scents mingled and mixed.

They lost track of time, all of their senses drowned in the presence of one another.

He came a second time a short moment later, and Kagami shifted their position. Already a little fatigued, Kagami gently urged him down, back against the mattress. The redhead was still hard, and Kuroko's dick stiffened again when Kagami hovered over him, his hands greedy to touch. Kagami caressed the inner of his thighs and spread them apart, pulling them up over his shoulders. He grabbed his dick, lining it up with Kuroko's entrance and dipped into him again.

Kuroko found that he loved this position the most, as he could see Kagami's expressions in the midst of passion, and hear the rumbles of his throat when he groaned, all from a rare angle. He loved to see Kagami feel good, taking pleasure from inside of him. It branded a scorching fervor within him. He wanted to see more. He couldn't get enough of the feelings.

At some point, however, his stamina ran out and he fainted, after he'd come for the umpteenth time. Kagami was still inside him.

—

Kagami's chest was in front of him, when he opened his eyes in the morning, head heavy with slumber.

They were still in the nude under the duvet, limbs tangled and warmth shared. Kagami was cradling him close, an arm looped around Kuroko's body and another serving as a makeshift pillow for Kuroko, on top of an already plushy cushion. Kagami had a peaceful expression on his face as he slept, his chest rose and fell at a steady pace. Kuroko watched, mesmerized. He tried not to move too much, not wanting to wake Kagami just yet.

He brought his fingers up to caress Kagami's lips, gingerly, tapping and brushing along the plump curve dazedly. His eyelashes were red like his hair and short, his nose long and straight like a foreigner's. Kuroko wondered if Kagami was mixed, after all his built wasn't like a regular Japanese man. He feathered the pads of his fingers along the redhead's cheeks, Kagami twitched and sighed at the fleeting touch, but not waking.

He felt his heart fluttered in his ribcage. Even though he'd waken up next to Kagami before, this time was different. This was far more intimate, the morning after a night spent indulging in each other. He felt a surge of warmth drown him, his heart soaring. It felt so foreign, yet pleasant. He never felt this way before.

His gaze trailed down, taking in the sight of the marks and scratches he'd made on Kagami's skin. He understood why Kagami insistently wanted to mark him, even if the number and level of intensity of Kuroko's marks paled in comparison to those Kagami gave him. The redhead was simply too wild, sometimes, when he was excited. He tentatively brushed his fingers along fresh nail scores that ran from Kagami's shoulder blades down to his chest.

He recalled having put them there the night before, when Kagami had pounded into him erratically and he was too lost in the sensation, to care what his claws were doing.

His face grew hot.

It had a damnable affect on him, because the heat started rushing down and into his dick. Kagami naked in front of him and asleep, didn't help his situation.

He bit his bottom lip and reached down to stroke himself. He ducked his head and tried to muffle his moans, inhaling slowly. With eyes shut tight, Kuroko pumped his dick, a little too fast, because there was a concern of Kagami waking up to Kuroko masturbating to him. But worrying over it apparently made it hard for him to come as quickly as he'd liked to. He squirmed his legs with pressure. After a while, his breaths labored heavier, stroking himself faster to focus on reaching completion — he was close.

"Having fun by yourself?"

Kuroko snapped his eyes open. Kagami was staring at him, gaze set ablaze and fully awake. Kuroko flushed instantly, like a deer caught in headlights, his hand stilled in shock.

"Kagami-kun, you — you're awake." He said, blankly, wanting to crawl into a hole to hide. He didn't want to be caught secretly touching himself.

The redhead yawned, scratching his belly. "I've been awake for a bit, you could've just woken me up, you know. Imagine my surprise, waking up to you jerking off by yourself." He said, glancing at Kuroko's fully hard shaft. "I mean, I'd gladly help you with that."

"I didn't want to impose. You were sleeping." Kuroko said, shyly averted his gaze. He was still so hard, his dick was throbbing and forgotten. He was practically drowning in the awkward air. He couldn't exactly tell Kagami he was excited because of Kagami's sleeping face.

"A bit late for that, don't you think?"

The redhead propped himself up by the elbow, cheek settled on the palm of his hand. His lips stretched into a wicked grin. "Sorry for interrupting, do continue. I'll watch."

Kuroko didn't think it was possible to blush so much. Kagami wanted to watch him masturbate. He shouldn't feel shy now, he'd done it before to seduce the redhead, but being told to do it felt decidedly different than to do it willingly. It felt — more salacious. Outrageous. But he didn't exactly dislike it. Kuroko's hand, which had been hovering on the sheet, unsure, finally returned to his shaft and renewed its pace.

His breath hitched harder and he felt the arousal intensify significantly, knowing Kagami was watching him. As soon as he started pumping, he felt like coming. Seconds later, he came, staining the bed sheets with wet blots. Kagami clucked his tongue and growled impatiently, Kuroko was a little taken aback when Kagami moved over him, pushing him gently to the bed. The redhead had grown heated and aroused while watching Kuroko masturbate, eyes and claws already transformed, stripes fluttering across tan skin.

Kuroko heard his heart beating in his ears when Kagami started stroking his shaft back to hardness. He spread his legs and dug in his fingers to widen the entrance — it didn't take long because Kuroko was still considerably stretched from last night. In no time, both were ready and eager. Kagami reached over to the bedside drawer for some condoms. He tore one roughly, slipping it on quickly.

Kuroko was gasping as Kagami entered him, a fist balled in the sheets and another in sleek red hair. He was growing used to Kagami's shape and size after so many times of coupling, even though it was only the second day. Kagami truly was good at sex, Kuroko thought to himself. "Hmmmm — Kagami-kun, it feels good." He sighed when Kagami fully sheathed inside, halting to give Kuroko a breather.

"It feels good for me, too." Kagami said with a smile, voice hoarse. He leaned in, capturing his lips in a gentle kiss. Kuroko instinctively brought his other hand to settle on Kagami's back, another still on red hair, clenching tighter.

It was the morning, and both of them were still sluggish with sleep. They stared at each other quietly, hips languidly detaching and attaching, building up the pleasure at a slow, unhurried pace. Kagami was watching him and Kuroko found himself staring as well, trailing his fingers along Kagami's slumber-tinged face, noting the traces of lethargy under his eyes and the crusts at the corners. His lips were slightly cracked, wet from their kiss. Kagami let him inspect every inch of his features.

After a while, Kagami pulled away to start kissing his neck down to his chest, his pace accelerated by a degree. Kuroko's head tossed about, moaning from the pleasure that had built up considerably, pink flush fluttered beneath closed lids. "Kagami-kun," He moaned Kagami's name repeatedly, as the redhead drove faster, beads of sweat trickling down his temples. Hands gripping broader shoulders to steady himself.

Kagami licked the sweat off his skin, moving his lips to kiss him. Kuroko could taste the salt on the tip of Kagami's tongue.

They only did it once, reaching their orgasms around the same time. Kuroko was feeling very hungry and fatigued. The constant physical exertion burned the meals and calories so quickly that he became ferociously hungry after many bouts of sex.

"Let's take a shower before breakfast?" Kagami said, tying up the soiled condom.

"I agree, I'm feeling hungry too." They were sweaty and covered in stuff — Kuroko was cleaner than he thought though, maybe Kagami had cleaned him up again last night, after he'd blacked out.

He tried to sit, yelping aloud when the dull pain stung him from below. Kagami, who had left the bed and was pulling up his boxers, whipped back around at Kuroko's pained sound, eyebrows furrowed. "Are you okay?" He asked, tone wary.

Kuroko clenched his jaw, cold sweat beading on his temples. "I'm — I'm fine. I think." He didn't know why exactly he'd lied, clearly, he wasn't feeling fine at all. His backside was throbbing achingly, he was worse than yesterday.

Slightly disoriented, he fought to act normally, attempting to get off the bed in order to convince Kagami. Instead as soon as he stood, his knees shook violently and buckled — he'd almost fallen over if it weren't for Kagami, who'd rushed in to catch him before he could hit the floor.

"Idiot! Don't push yourself too much!" Kagami barked, lifting Kuroko up into his arms in one swoop. Kuroko was too lethargic to do anything about it, his limbs were acting out of his control.

"I'm sorry, Kagami-kun." He said, ashamed because Kagami had to physically carry him into the bathroom.

"No. Kuroko, you're not the wrong side, here." The redhead looked guilty, voice deeply subdued. Kuroko could detect the faint trembles in his tone. "I'm sorry, Kuroko, I was too rough on you, even though you're not used to it. I should've noticed quicker. I'm the idiot, not you. I'm sorry."

Kuroko didn't immediately reply. He did think Kagami could be a bit rough at times. Maybe it was the Haze that had overwhelmed his ability to judge rationally, but Kuroko had not hated the things Kagami did — despite the discomfort and the pain. He had expected there would be a degree of pain, and he'd prepared himself for it. This was just a part of the risks.

"I'm at fault too, Kagami-kun, I shouldn't have provoked you, like you said."

Kagami was eerily quiet.

After they entered the bathroom, Kagami had to let him down so he could run the bath water in a porcelain tub. "Hold onto me, I'll be done quick," he said. Kuroko only nodded and braced himself when the redhead lowered him in, he held onto Kagami because his knees were still shaking. It wasn't as bad as when he'd tried to stand by himself.

The tap started leaking water in streams, filling up the ivory bottom of the tub. Kagami checked the temperature of the water with a hand, decided it was adequate, then he straightened his back, taking a hold on Kuroko's hand on his shoulder.

"Kuroko, c'mere for a second." He lifted Kuroko up again, arms looped beneath his thighs and under his waist.

There was a small sofa in a corner of the bathroom, nearby what looked like a dressing table with a large vanity mirror. Kagami sat him there, very carefully. The cushion was plushy and soft, and very comfortable. Then Kagami told him to wait and left the bathroom for a moment, returning some short minutes later with a fresh bathrobe, a few pillows and a slim bottle in hands. Before he could ask, Kagami draped his frame with the bathrobe.

"So you won't get cold, wear it." He said, also handing him a bunch of soft, white pillows. He tucked one of them behind Kuroko's back, and told him to put the rest under him. Kuroko did as asked, soon he saw what Kagami meant. The layers of cushions under and behind him reduced the discomfort and pain somewhat.

"Thank you Kagami-kun. I feel better." Kuroko told him.

Kagami smiled shakily, dispirited.

"Good." He said. He dropped his knees, the slim bottle still in hand. Kuroko wondered what he was trying to do, when the redhead uncapped the lid and poured its contents into his palms, then rubbing them together in quick motion. It smelled of lavender.

"It's aroma therapy oil — mom left it on the table. I thought I'd use the lotion, but oil is better for massages." He explained, taking Kuroko's left leg and began massaging his calf. "I'm not very good at it. But better than nothing, I guess. I remember how Coach usually does it for us." His face twisted in focus, and then he grew quiet, concentrating on the task.

Kuroko felt the strain in his muscles began melting off, as Kagami worked on his knee, moving up to his thighs. He gave each leg roughly eight to ten minutes of concentrated massages — he wasn't as good as Riko, but its affects on Kuroko were apparently quite effective. His legs stopped shaking involuntarily, muscles relaxing rapidly. He heard lavender had relaxation and healing properties, it might be true, because his mind cleared up as well.

Kagami had to stop momentarily because the bathtub was almost filled, he went over to twist the faucet off. He dipped his hand into the pool of water to check the temperature. "A bit high, but it should be fine." He turned to Kuroko. "You should go in, the warm water'll help you relax — I can't exactly massage the rest of you without a bed. I'll do it later."

"Kagami-kun, aren't you joining me?" For a second he'd thought Kagami would refuse — conflict crossed his features, twisting his face with a dark shadow.

In passing, Kuroko leaned forward and reached for his arm. "Kagami-kun, please join me. I want you to be here, too."

Kagami didn't refuse.

When he got off the sofa, his knees were in much better condition and he was able to walk — albeit still needed to be careful — and tugged Kagami's wrist to lead him towards the tub. Kagami went in first, the water level raised immediately and overflowed when he dipped his large body in. Kuroko gingerly stepped into the warm water, Kagami's hand holding him steady. He settled himself on Kagami's lap, his back touched Kagami's torso.

Kuroko let out a long sigh, enjoying the warmth of his surrounding, his tense body relaxing. Kagami circled his arms loosely around Kuroko and urged him to lean back, he did, Kagami's body heat felt nice on his own. Kagami nuzzled his head from behind, starting to relax into the bath as well.

"Are you feeling better?" He whispered, tone low and dispirited.

Kuroko sighed, closing his eyes. "Yes, I'm feeling much better now, thanks to you, Kagami-kun. I am grateful."

Kagami didn't say anything for a while.

"… do you regret it? Being with me, I mean."

He opened his eyes quickly, looking over his shoulder at the redhead. Kagami looked distressed, his usual grin was replaced with a deep frown that didn't suit him. Kuroko's words escaped his mouth, before he even needed to think.

"I don't regret it." He said. "I knew there would be pain. I understand there are risks and side effects. But, I don't regret anything."

Kagami uncovered himself, a disbelieving look on his face. "But — I promised I wouldn't make it hurt for you, and look at what I did! I messed up again, and I hurt you! I can't even keep a damn promise to you, I'm pathetic." He ducked his head and concealed his face with one hand. "Don't humor me, Kuroko, I can't even believe myself— _I'm such an idiot!_ "

Kuroko was growing more and more irritated.

"Kagami-kun, I don't know why you think I'd be so naive to expect that everything would be perfect and painless. I do not have such unrealistic expectations. I did my own research, Kagami-kun. I'm sure you did your best to lessen the pain — no, you did everything you could to take care of me. You've done more than enough, more than I could hope for." Before Kagami could retort, he continued.

"Do you really think I didn't notice that you'd cleaned and dressed me after I'd fainted? That you prepared meals and medicines for me, or that you didn't sleep much because you were watching over me, when I was feverish from the heat? Or when you — who can't read to save your life — tried to understand books about my condition? Do you think I didn't know?" The redhead's jaw dropped, staring at Kuroko blankly. His mouth was gaping dumbly.

Kuroko couldn't believe Kagami could be so,  _so stupid_ , at times.

"Kagami-kun, I think you misunderstood something. I won't repeat this again. I don't mind bearing a little pain, if it means I can sleep with you again. I thought my feelings about this were clear — I'm sure you know how much I enjoyed our time together." His face grew hot at the last sentence, but Kuroko ignored it, glaring stubbornly at the redhead.

Kagami's face was also red. He gaped, mouth closing and opening without a sound. He looked confused, happy then guilty, it was amusing to watch so many emotions crossed his features, one after another.

"Y — yeah, I got it, I think. Thanks, Kuroko." He uttered, not quite managing to suppress a grin. "I'll be gentler next time, I swear. Tell me when I do it too much? I'll stop immediately. I — I enjoyed our time together, too." He added, awkward, shyly scratching the back of his head.

Kuroko huffed, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Kagami-kun, you can be so slow, sometimes."

Kagami flushed furiously. "Hey, you can't call me that, when you're  _slow_  yourself!"

"It's true, I don't have much speed. Do you think I need to start a special training, for the Spring Tournament? I'm sure Coach will have come up with new training menus for us, I can discuss this issue with her." Kuroko said, genuinely contemplating the idea.

After all, speed could be pivotal to improve his misdirection performance in court, he needed to think of better strategies for future matches with the Generation of Miracles.

Kagami sighed, the water splashed when he brought a hand over his face.

"Never mind … " He let out a long sigh, sounding depressed, for some reason.

They enjoyed soaking in the water for a while, then Kagami suggested washing up in the shower now that Kuroko was feeling much better. There was still the dull ache, but it had improved considerably. They entered the shower cubicle together, Kagami helped lather him up and scrub his back — in a normal way, far less violent than the last time he did for Hyuuga — Kuroko let himself be pampered by the redhead, returning the sentiment by scrubbing his back and washing Kagami's hair.

After they finished showering, Kuroko returned to the bathtub — the water was still lukewarm enough for him — Kagami didn't join him this time, excusing himself to go prepare for breakfast. He told Kuroko to take it easy and lie down on the bed after bath, kissed him on his forehead and left the bathroom.

The Heat Week wasn't called by its name for no reason.

After he was done in the bath and dressed, Kuroko had breakfast with Kagami on the sofa in the living room, the TV was showing Sunday kids' anime. Kagami made him a stack of pancakes with caramel syrup and a glass of vanilla milk, which he devoured quicker than he'd expected. After they were finished with breakfast, they watched TV, Kagami snuggling him.

Somewhere along the way they started kissing, innocent at first, but soon grew deep and heated. When the sexual urges caused by the heat peaked again, Kagami had Kuroko lying on his back across the leather couch, they were heavily grinding and kissing, hands touching and groping around sensually. The TV was still on, Anpanman had just started playing on the screen.

It gradually escalated, Kagami pulled off Kuroko's pants and underwear and started mouthing his shaft, and Kuroko — shirt pulled over his chest — was moaning and gasping in broad daylight. Kagami had kept his word and was being extra gentle and careful when he entered Kuroko, the redhead asked him if it was too much, several times, and only started moving when he got confirmation. Kuroko had come while Kagami was inside of him and the redhead came into the condom as usual, saving them the unnecessary clean up.

There was a definite pattern. They would have sex until they were tired and hungry, rest for a while and eat some food, after that, they'd have sex again until the meals were burned up by the physical exertion, then they'd eat again. The cycle continued, until the heat wore off naturally.

After two times on the couch, Kuroko was tired. Kagami suggested taking a short nap and he agreed. He languidly went upstairs with Kagami, he flopped onto the bed almost as soon as he reached it, lying on his stomach. His ass was throbbing again, and he groaned, rubbing his ass miserably. He felt the strain subsided when Kagami started applying soothing pressure to his back, he looked up and saw Kagami make do of his promise to massage him.

He was enjoying the massage, felt more relaxed and drowsier by the minute. Kagami told him to sleep. Kuroko only nodded absently. In the back of his mind, he knew he had to recover his stamina for later, when he would make love to Kagami in the afternoon, eat and make love again into the night, until both them were too spent to move and fell asleep in each other's arms.

—

Around the third day at noon, Kagami showed him the Heat Room.

The room was painted in pearly white and fairly large in size, in the shape of a cylinder. In the walls were built in shelves and drawers, numerous and stretched upwards until they stopped half a foot away from the ceiling. A long, moveable ladder was installed to reach the ones higher up. There was a large bed in the middle, draped in white, the floor was entirely carpeted, soft and fluffy, nude brown in colour.

The lighting was dim, tinted warm orange, seemingly seeping in through secret gaps on the ceiling and the shelves. It was simply sublime and tasteful — despite the main purpose of the room itself.

"There're plenty of stock for condoms and lubes — among other things. We won't run out until Heat Week's over, that's for sure." Kagami had whispered into Kuroko's ear suddenly, causing the latter to jump.

Kuroko had lost count of just how many packets and bottles Kagami had used up so far, but he was certain it was a lot — and he felt heat rushed up his cheeks.

He circled the room, inspecting the shelves with great interest. He opened several and found some packages of dry food, snacks and instant noodles in one section, presumably consisted mainly of food stocks. Then he moved on to another section, mainly bookshelves, there were various of literary collections there — he spotted Yakuza Moon and I Am a Cat novels, there were even books in English he didn't quite understand.

He flipped through several pages of a book, keeping to himself that he might borrow it later for a bedtime read, then moved to the next section. The drawers there were particularly big, compared to the others. He pulled one of them open and was immediately greeted by bottles of lubricants and boxes of condoms and tissues. Blushing slightly, he pushed it close, opening another. He flushed, when he saw penis-sized statuettes of various lengths and colours were kept inside.

He stared at them, curious, wondering why these kinds of things were kept in the heat room. Was there a purpose to them? … decorations? It didn't make sense.

Meanwhile Kagami scooted to his side, peeked his head to see in what caught Kuroko's attention. "What are you staring at? Oh." He said. "Those dildos are still there? Mom sure has some embarrassing hobbies, seriously … so lame."

Kuroko looked up at the redhead. "Dildo?"

Kagami gazed at him blankly.

"You… don't know?" Kuroko shook his head. The redhead looked away, suddenly shifting nervously. "It's uuh, how to say this? Okay. It's a sex toy. For women. And men too, um, if they're into… you know." He awkwardly said, hands in pockets seemingly casually.

It didn't immediately sink into Kuroko's brain, he stared at the many penis-shaped statuettes. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Sex toys for women…"

"Whoa, no need to think too much about it, seriously."

Kuroko scrunched up his eyebrows. "But wouldn't it better to have the real one?" He'd asked, looking up at the redhead. Then he glanced at the collection again, they just didn't seem right. It didn't look like it would feel anything like Kagami's — surely it didn't possess warmth like a person did, and it didn't look it would move and twitch animatedly inside, from time to time.

"It doesn't look it'd feel good, it seems cold and lifeless to me. Does it really feel good, Kagami-kun?" He looked at Kagami again, waiting for answer.

Kagami inhaled sharply, a strange look shone on his features like a spotlight.

"You wanna try? See which one's better?"

Kuroko's eyes widened slightly, curiosity growing rapidly, pricking at him in minuscule stabs.

Two hours later, they were both sprawled on the bed, ivory sheets twisted and crumpled.

Their clothes were scattered across the carpeted floor, having been thrown haphazardly in the heat of the moment. Kuroko was lying on top of Kagami, spent, the redhead was dragging lazy circles on his back, smiling in satisfaction. The toys were left a little far from where they were lying, dirty and used, forgotten. Kuroko felt a little sleepy, a hand nudged his chin to tilt his jaw up.

"So? Which one do you think is better?" Kagami asked, golden feline eyes flashing mischievously.

It really wasn't a fair question. It did have its special features, but the answer was obvious.

"You're better, Kagami-kun."

Kagami let out a victorious roar, laughing.

—

On the fourth day, Kuroko was getting bored of staying cooped up in the house.

While Kagami was preparing for lunch, he went to the Heat Room for the books he saw the other day. He browsed the titles and authors, fingered the spine of the books and pulled some out by the top to inspect them. Most of them were best-selling novels and autobiographies, it made him wonder which one of Kagami's parents had a taste for literature? His mother was a designer, how about his father? For what little Kagami told him, they were both always busy, both were Heavy Seeds.

Kagami had been a mix of Tiger and Lion that alone already gave Kuroko a strong vision about them. It looked like they gave free reign over his life to their son, Kagami could pursue whatever he liked, including Basketball, and they'd always supported him. Such carefree parents, Kuroko wondered how they looked like. They didn't keep any family photos in the house.

Kuroko flipped around Yakuza Moon in his hand. He'd heard bits of the story; an autobiography of the daughter of a Yakuza and her life that circled around the seedy underworld. He stared at the cover image of the book, the back of a thin woman, entirely covered with a large tattoo. How strange. She didn't look intimidating to him, in fact, she looked frail and delicate. From what he observed, women who tried hard to appear tough, were hiding a deep sadness in actuality.

It must be why he chose that book.

Kuroko was reading at the dining table, engrossed in the story of Shoko's childhood, from the happy beginning to the part when her life started taking a wrong turn.

He didn't realize that Kagami had finished plating the dishes. Before he knew it, the dishes were served and a bowl of steaming rice was laid in front of him. Kagami nudged him for attention, telling him that lunch was ready. Kuroko apologized, then tucked the book away. Kagami had cooked a Japanese style meal; grilled mackerel with miso soup, stir fry vegetables, some assorted tempura and bowls of rice. It looked delicious.

He continued reading on the living room sofa after lunch.

Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed as Shoko's life began to revolve around drugs, periodically sexually harassed since she was at a young age and taken advantage of when she was most vulnerable. She had so many traumatic experiences. He was a man too, but Kuroko just couldn't stand such revolting people. How could they treat women in such horrible way? He couldn't understand, women were delicate creatures that must be treated well.

His attention was so focused on indulging in the literature, that he paid little attention when the sofa creaked and the cushion sloped with extra weight. He didn't move an inch, eyes locked onto the words written on the pages, his mind was filled with the characters' predicament. Minutes went by, Kuroko read and kept reading, back reclined and hands holding either side of the book, his face hidden behind it.

A large hand abruptly grabbed the book and pulled it away from him. Kuroko stared blankly, empty hands still held up in the same position.

"Hey, stop ignoring me." Kagami said, frowning. The book was open and dangled in one hand. "Are you going to keep reading and making me wait until I'm old, or are you going to sex me up right now?"

Kuroko blinked.

"Is option no. 1 applicable?"

The redhead growled, deep and hoarse, angry eyes flared golden, fangs bared. Kuroko's instincts jumped at the display of predation, heated lust started swarming his senses, alarmed by the increasing pheromones the tiger emitted.

"Not. A. Fucking. Chance."

Kuroko didn't resist when Kagami pushed him down, kissing him and palming his crotch to hardness roughly. The redhead pulled up his shirt to suckle on his nipple. Kuroko gasped and threw his head back as Kagami bit down, hard, sending a jolt of electricity up his spine. He glanced down, eyes glazed, and saw the redhead was licking the vibrant red bud, wet and plump with swelling. He took it into his mouth again, sucking, eyes locking onto Kuroko's. He shivered involuntarily.

The redhead pulled off his pants and underwear with one forceful tug, Kuroko hissed when his erection was exposed to the cold air, fully erect and leaking pre-come. He had expected Kagami to suck him off, but instead the redhead disappeared behind his sacks, propping his hips up with both hands clasped over his buttocks, spreading his cheeks.

Kuroko inhaled sharply, when something hot and supple started prodding his hole.

"Wh - what's that? Kagami-kun?" He pushed himself up by the elbows, glancing at the bundle of red hair, horrified.

He heard a chuckle. And Kuroko almost screamed when the supple flesh wriggled inside of him, in and out, wet and hot and alive. The sensation went straight up his dick and up his spine. His thighs squirmed from the strange, aching pleasure, clamping against either side of Kagami's head. He heard an annoyed hum, Kuroko gasped when he felt vibration reaching into him, from the supple thing that moved about inside him.

When Kagami spread his thighs apart, he came to a mortifying realization; the thing inside him was Kagami's tongue. He flushed deep crimson, back bent and hands scrambling forward to push Kagami off, overwhelmed with shame and mortification.

"No, Kagami-kun — it's embarrassing! Stop. Aaah — !" Kagami sucked at his rims. He attempted to bite back a long, arduous moan, but it tore its way out of his lungs before he could do anything, back arching and head tossing about. His dick jumped and twitched, dribbling more and more pre-come.

Kagami withdrew, licking his lips and grinning triumphantly at him. "The way you taste. I've been curious since the time I learnt you get wet when aroused."

Kuroko blushed an even brighter red. "Kagami-kun, that's too much. It's too embarrassing, please stop."

"No. You should know by now, that I want to taste every inch of you." Kuroko gaped, at loss of words. "Don't be shy, Kuroko. I'll make it good for you, besides, I need to prepare you. It's just so happens that I've left the lube in the bedroom, this is more convenient, for now."

That couldn't be true, Kagami had never once forgotten to keep a bottle of lube and several packets of condoms in his pockets. That he suddenly ran out, at this very moment, was definitely a lie. Yet Kuroko couldn't bring himself to retort, as Kagami ducked down again. He licked and suckled his hole vigorously, sometimes adding his fingers, reducing Kuroko into a mess of incoherent whimpers and wails.

He continued his ministrations for so long, Kuroko was wide open and stretched, leaking and ready. His mind was numbed with the sensations, inner walls quivering with need. He'd come once from Kagami playing with his ass, untouched, and he couldn't be more embarrassed. His clawed hand grasped at the sofa, another was clenching and unclenching in his hair. His chest heaved up and down with labored breaths. Yet it was as if Kagami didn't intend to stop, he kept on teasing him, making him hard again, achingly so. Kuroko couldn't stand another minute of this.

"Aah, ah, Kagami-kun, please — " He'd said, tone slipping into a whine, pleading.

Kagami pulled away slightly, arms looped around his thighs. His mouth, chin and the tip of his nose were wet, Kuroko's dick reacted to the sight. "Please, what?" Kagami's tone was rough and hoarse, a predatory grin spread on his lips.

Kuroko chewed his lips, and swallowed.

"Please enter me, Kagami-kun."

The grin twitched at the corners. "I can't hear you. What did you say again? Repeat it."

Kuroko growled harshly, impatient. His claws got sharper, he dug into the leather surface of the sofa. Kuroko either wanted to wipe that stupid grin off of his face or make Kagami do him. He was growing more and more annoyed.

"Fuck me, Kagami-kun."

Kagami's grin fell, mouth hung agape.

Kuroko smiled.

The redhead rushed to unbuckle his jeans, haphazard and desperate. He cursed in English when he almost entered without a condom, fumbling with his jeans pocket to take one out. Kuroko noticed a small bottle of lube fell onto the floor when Kagami tried to take out the packets, it went unnoticed by the redhead, too busy putting on the second skin.

When Kagami finally pushed into him, Kuroko let out a dragged out, relieved sigh and came hard onto his stomach, his inner muscles were too sensitive and aching with need. Kagami was already so hard and big inside him, it was amazing he managed to hold it for so long. His shirt was soaked in sweat, drops of it beading down his temples. Kuroko laughed inwardly.

It was amusing to see Kagami got jealous over a book.

That night, Kuroko had brought more books to the bedroom, and started reading while Kagami was having a shower. He was lying on his stomach in his pajamas, a stack of books on the bedside table. He was reading the continuation of Yakuza Moon, a pillow supported his elbows. He heard a click of the bathroom door, and from the corners of his eyes, he saw Kagami walked out, wearing only a towel from waist down. His red hair wet, droplets dripping onto the floor.

Kagami took a look at him, glanced at the stack of books and back to Kuroko again.

"Oh, you are kidding me."

Kuroko wouldn't give up his reading, even for the heat.

—

He was used to waking up next to Kagami, every day.

Every morning, he would quietly observe the redhead until he woke up, finding Kuroko watching him. Then they'd use their morning excitements to make love, and that was how they started the day — they had sex once or twice, before their stomachs demanded food, then they'd stop for a bath. That was a new habit, too, Kagami would have Kuroko sit on the sofa in the bathroom, massage his legs while water was running into the tub, for fifteen to twenty minutes, then they'd dip in together. He added bath salt into the water, it was said to contain healing properties.

When they were done bathing and had toweled off, Kagami brandished a small jar of milky white cream, spreading the cream over the welts and scratches on Kuroko's skin.

"It's special stuff. The marks are gonna heal faster with this." He told him, when Kuroko had asked. He offered to do the same to the tiger, but Kagami refused, he said he liked Kuroko's marks and preferred them to stay the way they were. Kuroko had blushed at his boldness.

The following days, the effect of the heat started dwindling. Kuroko felt less sexual urges than he did in the first couple of days, although they still ended up having sex just as many times. Soon they would need to go home on the seventh day, because Kuroko's parents only allowed him permission until then. They also had a meeting with the Seirin team on Sunday, to discuss the Spring Tournament, and Kuroko would need to recover his physique for when Basketball practice started.

The fifth day went as usual, they spent the entire day making love, eating, making love, eating and making love. Kagami was just as usual, no changes in behavior, even as the days were numbered and soon their mating partnership would end. After this, they'd go back to being normal best friends, and partners only on the Basketball court. There wouldn't be sleepovers, there wouldn't be dinners, or warm kisses and sex, there wouldn't be waking up to Kagami sleeping next to him, infuriatingly perfect and warm and adorable.

And then the next Heat Season, Kagami would pick someone else as his Heat Mate, he'd cook for them, sleep with them, whisper sweet nothings into their ears, touch them, kiss them, tell them all the things they wanted to hear, have sex with them. Kagami, with someone who wasn't Kuroko.

The thought forced Kuroko into a small panic, heat pricked behind his eyes and his lungs felt deprived of air. His ribcage was crushing into his heart, and he felt he was going to die from the pressure. Kuroko felt a grief-tinged possessiveness stabbing him from the inside, and the animal inside him howled, pained. He just wanted to relieve himself from the crushing pressure.

Kuroko's fingers clawed his chest, over where his beating heart was pounding loudly beneath the tips of his fingers. Another hand grasped the edge of the sink. His claws left trails of bleeding marks that throbbed painfully, having dug into his skin too deeply. Kuroko panted, wide blue eyes stared at his own reflection — he was halfway transformed — and then looked at the wound he had inflicted on himself, quickly withdrawing the hand, trembling with shock.

What just happened? He hadn't realized what he was doing.

The nail tracks were bleeding, red rivulets ran down his chest, positioned as if Kuroko had attempted to claw his heart out. It was abnormal. He never acted so out of sorts. He was just going to the bathroom because — on the morning of the sixth day, he'd woken up, looked at Kagami's sleeping face and — all of a sudden, he felt sad and lonely, hollowed. Even when Kagami was next to him, their warmth shared, but Kuroko was so, so cold —

The door clicked open.

"Kuroko, you in there? I've been looking for — "

Kagami stopped in his tracks, red eyes widened when he took a look at Kuroko. The reflection in the mirror looked back at Kagami, face blank, complexion deathly pale.

Kagami leaped forward, hands gripping Kuroko's shoulders. "What — why are you bleeding!? What's going on!?" He yelled, horrified, gaze locked on the fresh wounds marking his pale chest with so much fear in it, Kuroko didn't think he'd ever seen Kagami this way before.

Kagami whipped his head so fast, he'd thought it would snap, his hands detached from Kuroko to reach for a box of tissues near the sink. He fumbled with it, pulled out half the content of the box and started wiping the blood, frantically.

"Kuroko what happened? Why are you wounded?" He asked, voice shaking.

"I — I don't know. Out of the blue, I just — I didn't realize I'd transformed."

He certainly didn't intend to wound himself, Kuroko thought, he must have not realized his nails had transformed into claws. That was the only plausible explanation. He tentatively glanced at the hand that he had used to wound himself, now morphing back to humane features. Red blood was apparent at the tips, crusting under his nails.

Kagami bit his bottom lip, wiping off the blood that trickled down his belly.

"It's just light wounds. Thankfully it's not that deep. We should get first aid kit, though." Kagami said, dampening the tissues under the tap water before wiping them over the wound. Kuroko winced, the torn flesh ached with a slight burn. The redhead had wiped off most of the mess, red blots dripped onto the porcelain floor.

Kagami stood in front of him, hands slightly soiled with blood, looking genuinely angry. Kuroko almost reeled back, under the weight of his glare.

"Why did you do this to yourself? Tell me. Why did you injure yourself, on purpose?" His tone was low, the deep throaty rumbles were the only things that gave away the fury.

Kuroko gulped.

"It wasn't … on purpose." He said, looking away. At least half of it was the truth, another half, Kuroko hadn't known himself.

He could see in the mirror, Kagami clenched his jaw, tightly, and sighed.

"Fine. You won't tell me. We should at least treat it properly." He snatched Kuroko's wrist and forced him to look the redhead in the eyes. "Don't do that again. You scared me half to death."

Kuroko wished he could shrink and vanish at that moment.

"Okay. I'm sorry, Kagami-kun." He ducked his head, ashamed.

That day, for the first time, the routine broke.

Kagami told him to wait on the bed, while he went for the First Aid Kit. There was an awkward, cold tension lingering in the air. After Kagami patched him up, quietly, he urged him to dress. Kuroko, feeling guilty, obliged without a fuss. Unlike usual, Kagami waited until he was done, then he led Kuroko downstairs, sat him at the dining table, and went off to make breakfast, telling Kuroko to wait there and not to move. He even brought his books for Kuroko to pass time until he came back with breakfast.

Kagami never let him off of his sight for the rest of the day.

He was putting Kuroko under surveillance, Kuroko realized, as if he'd attempt to hurt himself again.

It was ridiculous, of course, that morning was just an accident. But Kuroko chose not to fight over it, he felt bad for making Kagami worry. Except, he was bothered by the fact that Kagami hadn't tried to touch him once — despite refusing to leave Kuroko alone. He had expected that things would return to normal — because it was the very last day they would spend with each other, just the two of them, before things got hectic with school and Basketball. Even if there wasn't a need to have sex anymore. He wanted it to be memorable.

His heart sank. A mere moment of weakness was what had caused this painful distance between them. Kuroko realized, he might have ruined everything.

Dinner was silent, awkward, filled with invisible tension. He tentatively glanced at Kagami, who sat across of him, he had been eerily silent the whole time. Kuroko's gaze fell to his half-eaten rice omelet, chest clenched too tight. He wanted nothing more than to escape this situation. They were going home tomorrow, would this thing between them end on such a bitter note? Kuroko closed his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows so deeply, his head started hurting. He couldn't stand it anymore.

He stood up, abruptly. Kagami whipped his head up to look at him, taken aback. Finally, Kagami was looking at him without the suspicion he'd sported the entire day.

"I'm finished eating. I — I'd like to be alone. Thank you, for the dinner." He said, giving it all he had to steady his tone. He smiled, shakily. "Thank you for everything, Kagami-kun. You've been wonderful and kind, I'm grateful. Thank you for taking care of me, this past week." He bowed once, then strode off.

He felt hot wetness dripping down his cheeks, Kuroko wiped it off with the sleeve of his shirt, never once stopping or looking back — even when Kagami had called out to him.

It was strange. They weren't even dating. He shouldn't be feeling this way.

After he reached the bedroom, he grabbed his duffel bag and opened the wardrobe. He ignored the tight clench in his chest and proceeded, mechanically tracking the things he owned, and putting them into the bag, slowly filling it up. It was late and he didn't have a ticket to go home, so he didn't need to hurry packing — but he needed to distract himself badly. Else, he'd remember the unpleasantness again.

" … are you leaving?"

His hand that was holding a toothbrush stopped in mid-air, he slowly looked over his shoulder. Kagami was standing several feet away from him, expression rigid and unreadable. The door was open behind him. Kuroko swallowed the lump that gathered at the back of his throat.

"I'm just packing for tomorrow, Kagami-kun." He said. It was a logical excuse.

Kagami didn't reply immediately, his gaze was blank and empty as he stared at Kuroko, as if he was looking into thin air. It was getting unnerving.

"You sounded like you're going to leave tonight."

Kuroko opened his mouth, about to say something reasonable, but realized he had nothing to say. Because it was true, he had wanted to leave at that moment, even though it wasn't possible and thus was forced to wait until tomorrow rolled in. He didn't say so, but didn't deny it either.

He inhaled and exhaled, turning around to face Kagami properly.

He was going to stay perfectly calm, and then, he might still be able to salvage their friendship, at least, so it wouldn't affect their performance in court. No more loving kisses and touches and teases. Seirin relied on their chemistry in Basketball, Kuroko reminded himself depressively, they could still be friends. No more waking up next to Kagami in bed, no more red morning stubbles and traces of lethargy under closed eyelids.

No more Kagami.

He inhaled, pushing the negative thoughts from his head. He needed to understand his own boundaries.

"Kagami-kun, listen," He started, calming the conflict in his mind. "I think we should — "

"Don't leave."

Kagami interrupted him, and the words died on Kuroko's lips when he was suddenly engulfed in Kagami's warmth, long arms enclosing around him. He blinked several times, not quite understanding what had just occurred. Kagami was holding him so tightly, Kuroko was having difficulty to breathing. Surprised, his arms dangled by his sides unresponsive.

After a stretch of silence, Kagami withdrew. Kuroko looked up at him, his eyes meeting Kagami's gaze.

"Kagami-kun?"

"Sleep with me." Kagami suddenly said. Kuroko gaped, then the redhead rephrased his statement. "Would you sleep with me tonight?"

Kuroko flushed.

"Yes." He said, breath catching in his throat. "Yes, I will."

They stripped off their clothes, standing to face each other. Kuroko felt oddly nervous, even thought they'd coupled so many times he had lost count, he felt nervous, as if this was his first time. Kagami was standing silent before him, staring intensely. Kuroko lowered his gaze, face flushed. He squirmed when the cold air went past him. When Kagami stroked his shoulder blade, he jumped a bit, electricity stung him where the touch had been.

Kagami leaned down to kiss him. He closed his eyes and kissed back, hands snaked up the redhead's chest to the nape of his neck. They were taking things slow, Kagami urged Kuroko to move back until they hit the side of the bed, then Kagami held his waist, lowering him gently onto the bed, lips still locked. Kuroko panted when they broke off, needing air, Kagami had watched him closely, hands running up and down his thighs.

Red eyes glanced down to his chest, at the cuts that, though had stopped bleeding, still bright red and swollen. "I can't believe you let this happen. The only marks you should allow on your skin, are mine," He growled, head ducked to lick the wounds.

Kuroko gasped, the wounds still stung, the flesh sensitive.

"It wasn't on purpose. It was an accident, Kagami-kun." He said, hand clenching red hair.

"Still, you scared me. You were so pale. There was so much blood… I thought something way worse happened to you. I don't know what I'd do if it did. It scared me." Kagami's voice trembled, subdued.

Was that the reason for the silent treatment and the surveillance? Kuroko clasped Kagami's face with both hands, making sure Kagami looked at him. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Kagami-kun. I will be more careful in the future, I promise." He said, sincere.

Kagami said nothing, instead he leaned forward to kiss Kuroko again. He flung his arms around Kagami's head and accepted him.

When Kagami slid into him, he sighed, his frustration flew off somewhere far away. The heated lust had dissipated, there were remains and traces of it here and there, but Kagami inside of him still felt pleasurable, he was relieved. He'd thought it was because his body was ridden with the heat, that everything felt good to him, but it looked like their natural physical chemistry remained excellent even after the heat had passed. Kuroko smiled, arms looped beneath Kagami's shoulders, to settle on his back.

"Kagami-kun, it feels good." He told the redhead, breath hitched as Kagami started a quick pace.

"It feels good for me, too." Kagami replied, driving into him and making a mess out of Kuroko.

It didn't take long for Kuroko to come, and Kagami as well, shortly after, pulling out and gushing onto his stomach, both of their semen mixing. Kagami reached for the tissue box to wipe it off, while Kuroko was recovering from the aftermath. The redhead shot the balls of tissue at the trash bin, failing two out three. Kuroko laughed secretly, Kagami wasn't good at long shots unless he was in the zone.

Kagami slipped into the bed, under the duvet, pulling Kuroko to lie on top of him. The latter pressed his ear to Kagami's chest, listening to his steady heartbeats. Kagami was stroking his hair, gently. Their naked bodies flushed against each other, warmth mingled and shared. It felt good. Kuroko felt content, happy.

"Kuroko." Kagami's chest rumbled when he spoke.

Kuroko tilted his head to look at the redhead, chin pressed onto broad chest. Kagami was staring at him. "Yes, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami didn't say anything for a while, seeming conflicted. Soon the uncertainty vanished, replaced by a fervent intensity.

"Don't do this with anyone else." He said, tone firm. "The next Heat Season, and the next one after that, and maybe the next one after that, too. I won't do this with anyone else, so, would you … stay with me?" He asked, face reddened.

Kuroko was breathless.

The redhead twisted his moment of silence into something else, however. He looked depressed, averting his eyes. "I mean, if you need time to think about it, I can — "

"Yes." Kuroko said, immediately, he didn't need time to think it over. He didn't need to think at all. "Yes, I will Kagami-kun. I will stay with you, for the next Heat Season and the next one after, maybe the next one after that, as well."

Kagami's eyes widened, his lips twitched, failing to suppress a grin. "Really? You will? I — I'm glad. Thanks, Kuroko." His eyes glinted in joy, Kuroko could feel the chest beneath him thumping loudly.

Kuroko laughed. He turned to lie on Kagami's chest again, eyes closed, breathing in the redhead's scent.

It wasn't a big declaration of a confession, it wasn't as if they promised to stay together forever or for as long as they could, there wasn't a vow to save them from being in a serious relationship with another. They were still children, in the eyes of the adults. They couldn't afford such big, dramatic schemes, yet. But it was enough, a little promise between them, to stay together for the next Heat Season, and the ones after that.

—

They rode the train back to Tokyo the next day, at noon.

There weren't many people on the train, so they stayed close, hands secretly holding beneath their jackets. Eventually, they fell asleep along the tedious ride, waking up when they arrived at their destination. Kagami walked Kuroko home, they took a long detour and went to Maji Burger for lunch. Kuroko called his mom and told her he'd arrive home at five, so they could use the rest of the day. They strolled around the neighbourhood aimlessly, until it was time for Kuroko to go home.

Kagami had kissed him before they parted ways, in a secluded spot near the station. They kissed several times, lips locking and detaching repeatedly. Kagami had looked at him warmly, stroking his cheeks and telling Kuroko he'd see him on Sunday for the Seirin meeting. Kuroko told him the same, tiptoeing to kiss Kagami one last time before leaving for the station.

On Saturday, Kuroko accompanied his mother shopping for groceries and other household stuff, bringing Nigou along with them. Kagami texted him throughout the day and called in the evening, the conversation lasting for two hours, until his ears were hot from the phone sticking to his ear. The battery was rapidly running out. Kuroko felt it was silly how much they acted like a love-struck teenage couple, texting each other before bed. But he didn't dislike it.

The Seirin meeting of course included extra special training time with Coach Riko, practically everybody had expected it. Kuroko had recovered nearly completely from the exertion of the Heat Week, and the cream Kagami gave him was effective. The marks on his body had faded and healed, he only needed a bit of concealer to hide the pinkish hickeys on his neck, and several other parts of his body.

He wasn't fooling anyone though — every wereperson on the team had told him he smelled of Kagami far more than he did before the Heat Week, every one of them giggling knowingly. Koganei had gushed merrily and congratulated him, Mitobe blushed and gave him an awkward smile, Captain Hyuuga had warned them not to let their extra activity affect their plays, Izuki came up with a terrible, terrible pun about it, Riko blushed and taught him tips for covering scents (presumably, she used the same tricks to fool her dad) and Furihata laughed awkwardly, eyes darting off.

Kuroko had flushed so much, his complexion might as well be baked.

Kagami didn't seem too bothered, in fact, Kuroko thought he was pleased that everyone knew Kuroko was truly his mate now. The damn shameless American Returnee.

As soon as Heat Week is over, they were as busy as ever with school and Basketball, especially with the upcoming Spring Tournament. It was hectic. Kagami and Kuroko didn't have much time to spend outside of school and club practice, but at least they were still together. They had to hold back on sex, because daily Basketball practice would be hard on Kuroko. So they agreed to wait until weekends, at least.

Kagami scored higher than expected. He passed all subjects without having to rely on Midorima's pencil, Kuroko practically preened with pride. His own grades weren't bad, he'd improved in his math and science subjects. It looked like they would be classmates again in the second year, Kagami was ecstatic.

Riko had come up with another crazy training menu, she demanded the team to come even earlier for morning practice, because Kiyoshi was still abroad after the success of his surgery, they needed to make up for his loss in the mean time. She was adamant to train the First Years until they were up to her standards. They would be getting new students soon after all.

On a Wednesday, Kuroko woke up at 04:20 in the morning. He shivered because it was cold at that hour, but he had to be awake soon, morning practice started at six and Riko didn't take kindly to tardiness. He shuddered to think she'd double or triple his menu if he was late. The streets were empty, the train wouldn't be up and running until five, so he made breakfast. Kuroko called Kagami to wake him up, he heard the redhead groan across the line, it was a sign he was awake at least.

The train ride was sparse of people. On coincidence, he bumped to Furihata, who was taking the train at the same time, looking spacey with drowsiness. They walked together to the school, the neighbourhood was mostly empty, as it was still five-ten. Their jackets were the only things defending them against the morning air.

As they were walking thorugh the streets, a long black sedan stopped in front of them. Kuroko looked over to Furihata, and they were about to take a detour around the car, when another black sedan blocked their way. Before they knew it, they were surrounded. Kuroko stepped back until he hit a brick wall behind him, next to him, Furihata flustered, looking confused, a hand clutching Kuroko's shoulder. Kuroko stilled, alert.

He heard heavy clicks and the sedans' passenger doors were opened, tall men in black suits and black sunglasses stepped out. Kuroko's bestial instincts blared, screaming danger and telling him to get away, but they were completely surrounded, and vastly outnumbered.

A black-haired man with hair slicked back approached them, his gloved hand took off his sunglasses to reveal cold grey eyes. "Kuroko Tetsuya. Heavy Seed Kagami Taiga's mate, I presume?" He asked, tone slippery and oddly seductive.

Kuroko glanced at their surroundings, they were all looking at Kuroko and the man with the gloves. He swallowed the lump that suddenly stuck in his windpipe. "Yes, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya." He admitted, gaze wary.

"Ah yes, we've seen your photograph. It seems that you're with a friend. I apologize, it was rude of us to intrude on you."

He didn't look sorry at all.

Furihata tugged his sleeve. "Kuroko, you know these guys? They're scaring me." He whispered, a hand concealing his voice.

"I don't know them, Furihata-kun. I am just as confused as you are." Kuroko whispered back, staring at the man, unflinching. "Please excuse me, but I don't believe I know you. Why are you doing this? Please let us go, we're just students. We have club practice to attend to."

The man smiled.

"Kuroko Tetsuya. You and Kagami Taiga purchased a package of high-quality parasite a few weeks ago, is that correct?"

Kuroko's frown tightened. "I don't think that's your business."

His cold smile grew wider. "Oh but it is, our business. You see, Kagami Taiga is half Bengal Tiger. His parents are both purebred, he is an exotic mix of two of the most powerful Feline Heavy Seeds, as you may know. We're very interested in the offspring he may produce in the future, thus your relationship with him piqued our attention. We did our research, you see, about you and your background."

Kuroko squirmed. He didn't like where this conversation was going. Furihata looked nervous, staying close on his right.

"Imagine our surprise, one of the few last Arctic Foxes left in the world, who we gave up on after she married a Primate, turns out to have a grandson, a werechild, who is officially registered as a dog Light Seed. How could this be, we asked, how could an Arctic Fox produced a mere dog? No, that isn't possible, is it? So, you must be an Arctic Fox yourself, Kuroko Tetsuya. Aaah! I shiver when I think of it, such a wonderful discovery! You're simply a sublime treasure, Kuroko Tetsuya."

What was he talking about? Kuroko hadn't understood what the man was babbling. He spoke too fast, speaking as if he was talking to himself, not to Kuroko.

The man took a step forward.

"We'd like you to come with us, Kuroko Tetsuya, with your delicate condition, you need to be taken care of, properly. Our facilities are most excellent, you will not be disappointed." He said, arms spread in a welcoming gesture.

"No, thank you. I refuse." Kuroko firmly said, cold sweat beading on his temples.

"Aah, but we do not intend to be refused."

Kuroko had never felt so cold under a person's gaze before. The man with the gloves — he had the characteristic of a Weresnake, cold-blooded and slippery.

He stepped forward again, the men around him started moving as well, slowly.

Kuroko couldn't back away, a wall was already standing behind him. His nails grew to claws, scraping at the rough, rocky surface. His gaze darted around at the other men in black suits, they were tall and buff, and looked like they were experienced in martial arts. He knew he and Furihata were outnumbered. If push came to shove, Kuroko would —

As he contemplated the situation, Furihata jumped in front of him, arms spread. Kuroko blinked, dumbstruck. Furihata's shoulders were shaking violently, like leaves blown by a strong gust of wind. Beads of sweat dripped continuously down his face as if someone dropped a water bucket on him. Kuroko could see a bushy tail tucked between his trembling legs.

He heard growls and snarls resonated throughout the open space, everyone within the vicinity zeroed in on the Shibainu. If it was bad before, now things just got worse.

"F — Furihata-kun? Please don't provoke them." He warned, anxious.

But Furihata refused to move away, he braved himself to face the man with the gloves.

"I — I don't know who you guys are, a - and I know I'm weak and I'm just a Light Seed, and there's no way I can win — B - b - but I've been listening t - to your nonsense about rare foxes and parasite and whatever. Kuroko is our important teammate and friend — and he's Kagami's mate! You can't make him go with you. We need him, so you can't have him!" Furihata barked out loud and glared, back pressed against Kuroko's body protectively.

Kuroko was at loss of words, touched by Furihata's bravery.

The man with the gloves visibly sighed, arms gestured in nonchalant.

"We didn't intend to use violence, but if it's necessary to procure your attention … "

Kuroko caught a subtle sign the man gave to one of the others. On instinct, he grabbed Furihata and pulled him forcefully, they dove to their right and onto the asphalt road. While Furihata was gasping in surprise, Kuroko glanced over where they stood previously, a wereperson had fully shape-shifted into a bear, its long, black claws made a series of slashes, carved into the brick wall. Kuroko gaped, horrified.

"YOU IDIOT!" The man screamed at the bear, hitting him squarely in the face, repeatedly. "What did you do!? I told you to threaten them, not attack them! The Arctic Fox might be injured, if something worse happened, I'll have your head on a platter, you useless muscle-brained Middle Seed!"

After his bout of a hissy fit, the man turned to a few of the other men to his left. "You! Help them. Be gentle with the Arctic Fox."

"What about the other one?" One of them asked.

The man looked at Furihata — who was still disoriented — and spat to the ground. "I don't care."

Kuroko didn't like the sound of that, it didn't seem like they'd treat Furihata kindly for his disobedience. Two tall, muscular men in black suits approached them. Kuroko instinctively draped his body over Furihata's, knowing they wouldn't try to hurt Kuroko.

"Wait," he said, glaring at the men and refusing to move an inch. "Don't hurt him. He's my friend. He has nothing to do with this, let him go."

The man with the gloves stiffened, staring at the two. Then slowly, his lips stretched into a predatory smirk. "Aaah, we won't do anything, I assure you. Of course, if you agree to come with us for a simple discussion, we will gladly let your friend go. Nothing too demanding or difficult, and I promise this time, there will be no unnecessary violence." He said slickly, taping a finger to his lips.

Kuroko pushed his body up to stand, chewing his lips, contemplating the offer.

Furihata looked like he was about to cry, he looked at him teary-eyed as Kuroko pulled him up. "No, Kuroko… don't go with them. Shit, this is because of me is it? We won't be in trouble if I hadn't stupidly provoked them. I'm such a failure…"

He shook his head. "No, Furihata-kun, I think they've intended to take me with them, one way or another, with or without you. Regardless of what I think." He said, assuringly. He looked around, finding no way out. "There's no other choice, I have to go with them. It doesn't look like they want to harm me, at least." But it didn't mean he wasn't anxious.

Kuroko took a step forward, unsure, then he took another towards the man. "I'll go with you. Let him go."

The man's smile elevated. "I am pleased, we will prepare our humble abode to welcome you, Mr. Arctic Fox."

Kuroko really hated how he made it sound like Kuroko was merely a breed, not a person. He felt that he understood a little of Kise's predicament. He was about to approach the man, when a strong tug pulled his jacket sleeve.

"I'm going too! I can't let you go with these suspicious guys alone!" Furihata declared, catching Kuroko in a death grip.

Kuroko stared at him, flustered. "What are you talking about? Furihata-kun, you should go to school — "

Furihata shook his head. "I said, I'm going, Kuroko. I don't trust them." Furihata eyed the man warily, stepping in front of Kuroko like a screen separating him from the stranger, still shaking. "I can't let you protect me and do nothing in return, I'll be the pathetic guy who can't even help his friend."

Kuroko was flabbergasted, he didn't know what to say to convince Furihata otherwise.

"The more merrier. Surely, you will feel more comfortable with a friend along. He may come, if he wishes to." The man with the gloves said, shrugging. He turned to gesture at the opened passenger door of a black sedan. It was dim and dark inside, the windows were tinted so Kuroko couldn't see the interior from the outside.

Kuroko swallowed. "Alright. Stay close to me, Furihata-kun, I don't trust them either."

Furihata nervously nodded, his grip on Kuroko tightened.

Both of them were ushered inside the sedan, Kuroko watched as the passenger door closed the gap, the faint morning sunlight disappearing behind it.

—

TBC.

—


	6. A Grandmother's Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, Hello! Sorry last chapter ended up in cliff hanger. The chapter was getting too long (no seriously, I feel like I write longer and longer, once I get into the story). (=w=;) And whoa, did I actually reach 50K++ words in the previous 5 chapters?? That’s insane, even for me! *sweats* I wonder if this story will end at 100K+ words mark? HAHAHA! I honestly don’t know. I’ll let my brain and hands do the story, and we’ll see together. :-D
> 
> Latest version of this chapter is edited and proofed by KC!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 6: A Grandmother's Love

—

All Kuroko could think of as the scenery beyond the tinted window rushed by in blurs, was that he needed to escape.

"Where are you taking us?" He asked, calmly.

Furihata was tense next to Kuroko, his gaze locked onto the hands resting in his lap, shoulders stiff. The man with the gloves sat on the other end of the seat, opposite of Kuroko. Furihata sat in the middle, and another man in black sat between Kuroko and the door, blocking the exit. Honestly, it was cramped, atmosphere cold and heavy. But Kuroko needed to keep himself perfectly calm, for the necessity of learning his own situation. Who these people were and what exactly they wanted.

The man with the gloves didn't look at him, a disturbing smile grew on his lips. His eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses, but it didn't thaw the coldness of his image.

"We're going to a nice place, Mr. Arctic Fox." He simply said.

Kuroko's eye twitched in annoyance at the degrading title. He decided to ignore it. "That's not very informative. Please be more specific."

Instead of answering him, the man laughed, as if Kuroko's words did not matter. It really annoyed him, but he wasn't about to give up on the discussion.

"With all due respect, if you're taking me against my will, the least you can do is enlighten me. Provide me an inkling of what I am dealing with. I do not appreciate being kept in the dark, Mr. Weresnake." He glared silently at the man, his composure concealed a slowly boiling irritation.

"Do you understand that we are still, in fact, underage? I believe your actions constitute as unlawful abduction, we can report this to the police."

The man finally turned to him, the odd smile still present.

"You're a clever one, aren't you, Mr. Arctic Fox? You realized my true form? It's not something I tell random pedestrians, I assure you."

"You have the characteristics." Of a coldblooded Wereperson, Kuroko added mentally.

"Very observant." The man nodded briefly, seemingly impressed. "You're not only of a rare breed, you are also clever. Your offspring shall be very lucky, to possess such brilliant mix of genes' from its parents."

Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows. "I think there is a misunderstanding, I am  _not_  pregnant. I'm not having children any time soon."

"Ah, but how can you be so sure? The Heat Season had ended but a few days ago. Surely, you cannot know whether the seed has taken root or not, in such early stage. We're looking forward to receiving the good news, it shall be a most wondrous moment." The man said, tapping a finger on his knee in a leisurely manner. It didn't look like he was even taking Kuroko seriously.

He completely rebutted Kuroko's arguments — all the while diverted attention from the main questions in the first place. Kuroko discerned he wouldn't get anything else from him. He frowned, clenching his jaw. Back to the tension-tinged silence again. He didn't realize Furihata was looking at him with shock, until the latter tugged on his sleeve, snatching his attention.

"Kuroko, were you and Kagami planning to conceive? Now that I remember what that creepy guy talked about — I didn't know you two bought a parasite already! Isn't that a little too fast for you two? I mean, you guys just started dating a few weeks ago!" He whispered near Kuroko's ear, a hand was held close by to muffle his voice.

"It's — it's not that simple, Furihata-kun." He said, lowering his gaze.

Kuroko kept mum, unable to reveal he and Kagami had not been the ones who purchased the Parasite, it had been a favor for Kise. If he revealed this now, would these people involve even Kise too? Somehow, Kuroko thought even if he confessed, they wouldn't let him go so easily. Something about him being a white fox had put Kuroko under an unwanted spotlight. He hadn't known his species was a rare kind.

Because his grandmother had told him he was nothing but an ordinary Light Seed. Kuroko had believed her, ever since he was a six year old boy.

When she told him to learn how to hide his true form, to control his aura, to reduce his presence and to be invisible in plain sight, even when she told him to never tell others of his true form, he had never doubted her. He was too young to ask questions, too young to doubt his own family. So he had obliged willingly. Only now, Kuroko started noticing the oddities that added up since he was young, from the day his grandmother told him he was a Wereperson. If he was a wereperson since he had turned six years old, why wasn't he immediately put into an environment where he could learn of the Werepeople from early on?

His parents might be Primates, but his grandmother had held a strong influence over his parents. She had lived with them for many years. Kuroko had lived in isolation from his own kind, until the day he decided to go to Teikou to pursue Basketball. He didn't remember exactly, but his grandmother had acted strangely. The look on her face, wasn't that of approval. She had not been happy about his choice, although she let him go to Teikou in the end after he'd persuaded her.

Had she — had his grandmother purposely done all those things, to conceal Kuroko's true identity? To protect him from people like them?

Kuroko looked between the Weresnake man and the man in a black suit next to him — a chill ran up his spine.

If Kuroko were a rare breed, he would be put under scrutiny and surveillance, like Kise, never to be truly free again. Everything he knew about himself, was truth mingled with lies, and he didn't know what was true and what wasn't anymore.

Kuroko was suddenly too cold. Unconsciously, he brought a hand to his forearm, rubbing heat into his body shakily. He wished he could feel Kagami's body heat over his own. The redhead never failed to sweep away his anxiety, he would assure him everything would be all right. Kuroko wanted to smell his familiar scent. He wanted to see Kagami, to feel his warmth on the tips of his fingers. But the redhead was nowhere to be found, and Kuroko had never felt so alone.

"Kuroko…?" Furihata whispered, staring at him and looking concerned. Kuroko felt a hand covered his on his lap, the warmth that spread from the touch eased the chill slightly. "Sorry, I'm not Kagami. But uh, I want you to know I'm here. You're not alone. It's gonna be okay, I — I think. " He said, attempting to smile reassuringly. Furihata squeezed his hand.

He looked down at their overlapped hands, and noticed Furihata was still faintly trembling, but it showed Kuroko how much the brunette was holding back to act brave. He looked up at Furihata, who was now looking forward, his complexion paler than Kuroko's own. Only then he realized he wasn't alone. Furihata had fought his own fear and anxiety in order to make sure Kuroko would be all right, in spirit and body.

Kuroko changed the hold, and squeezed Furihata's hand. The brunette looked surprised, turning to him. Kuroko smiled a bit and nodded. Furihata smiled too, and squeezed back, his complexion gained a bit of colour in it.

Kuroko glanced at the man again, finding a newfound determination. It simply wasn't the time to be discouraged, it was the opposite. He needed to keep his composure and think. He was at a clear disadvantage presently, so he would have to go along with this farce for now, until an opportunity presented itself. Kuroko would take advantage of it to release himself and Furihata from this unusual predicament.

The thought of Kagami still prodded him in the back of his mind. He hoped these people hadn't gotten to the redhead, like they had to Kuroko. He wished hard for the redhead to be safe.

They grew quiet as the car brought them to an unknown location. Furihata and Kuroko held hands still, between their palms grew sweaty but they didn't let go, knowing the warmth was all they could share to lessen the anxiety. Kuroko felt calmer, more controlled.

Around sometime later Kuroko noticed the car turned off the highway, leaving the city's more crowded districts and main roads. Kuroko looked over at the men and came to realize they were bringing them outside of Tokyo. He tightened his grip unconsciously, causing Furihata to turn to him. His brown eyes widened, lips stiffened. It was a subtle gesture, but the both of them realized the situation they were forced into might have been worse than they'd previously thought.

Furihata glanced at the man with the gloves, who was seemingly occupied staring off at the scenery next to him, his face blocked by the angle. The brunette gingerly detached their hold to sneak downwards, into his pants. Kuroko looked on curiously. Furihata's hand reached up, tagging the edge of his jacket slightly up and snaked into the pocket of his sweat pants. Kuroko could see a small of cellphone, which looked like an older model. He glanced to Kuroko and slid it back in again. Kuroko looked back at him, his hand grabbed his sling bag on his lap, where his own cellphone was kept.

His gaze shifted to the strangers around them, silently. They were being watched and the space was too small to allow leeway for them. They couldn't use their phones now, but they must look for a chance to use one. Kagami. He needed to contact Kagami, quickly. But they had to wait, for now.

The ride stretched on for longer, both Furihata and Kuroko waited patiently, their nerves stretching each passing minute. Kuroko waited, and waited.

The scenery changed, from town streets, to what looked like rural area. The other black sedans had split ways somewhere else instead of accompanying them, now only two other sedans remained. There weren't many other cars passing by. He noticed now, they were trying to remain inconspicuous and were being careful, for what, Kuroko didn't know. He didn't think anything good would come of it. Quiet neighborhoods and greenery came into view. The place they were headed to was clearly a secluded location, far from the city and busy streets.

It really didn't get any better.

The roads were no longer smooth, the car shook a view times as it turned onto a small, rather rocky path, one car at a time. And that was when Kuroko realized these people didn't intend to discuss anything at all. They had planned, from the start, to bring Kuroko to an unknown location, forcefully, for reasons he could only think of as something less than pleasant.

"Kuroko…" Furihata looked at him, his complexion paled once more. This time, Kuroko brought his hand over Furihata's and squeezed reassuringly.

"We'll find out what they want first, Furihata-kun." He whispered to his teammate. "And — if anything happens. You should make a run for it. I think they only want me, not you. You'll be fine. They'll let you go."

Furihata frowned deeply and squeezed his hand back, hard. " _I'm not leaving you_ , Kuroko." He told him firmly. "And I — I don't wanna be useless. I'm not an expert in the whole being kidnapped part or uh, escapism. But — but somehow I'll do my best. We'll find a way." He said, tone surprisingly confident. Kuroko was awed.

"Thanks, Furihata-kun." Kuroko whispered, faintly. Furihata smiled thinly.

Minutes later, a building came into view at the very end of the small path, beyond the foliage and trees. Kuroko straightened his back and narrowed his eyes to see better. He could see bits of the image, a western style building painted in white with worn earthy red roofs, the building was surrounded by tall brick walls, its lengths disappearing into the foliage at either side of the front gate. A black steel fence served as double-leafed gates at the front, a little bit taller than the walls.

The fence parted to let the car in, Kuroko spotted a cubical security booth was posted to the side near the gate. The car stopped just before a yellow and black lined metal plank, currently lowered to prevent access. The driver scrolled the window down, a heavy middle-aged man peeked out of the narrow window of the booth and chatted with the driver.

Kuroko could hear broken pieces of the conversation as they spoke in low voices.

"… the Arctic Fox … here." The driver said. The security peeked in and glanced at Kuroko, the latter stiffened involuntarily.

"Looks too young … …think? … how long?" The security shifted his gaze to Kuroko and the driver, then to the man with the gloves. The man frowned and told him it wasn't his business to pry.

The security jerked back, face paling and stuttering an apology. Kuroko could see why, the man purposely showed his aura to intimidate the middle-aged security guy, and he was taken aback when he took in the sight of a Chinese Krait, its scales glistened over black and white bands that graced all over its length, its image flickered for a few seconds before it vanished. Furihata jumped in his seat, face as white as a sheet and lips trembling. It wasn't strange, he'd witnessed the sight closer than Kuroko did and felt the intimidation in close proximity.

"Apologies. I did not mean to scare you." The man said, turning to both of them. An amused smile displayed the white of his teeth.

Kuroko swallowed. A heavy seed poisonous Weresnake, dangerous. They couldn't possibly attempt to use force on these people.

They were ushered out of the sedan, and immediately, Kuroko could see the grounds in a much clearer view. It was larger than he'd expected, having seen it from beyond the gates. The area was similar to that of a hospital institution. There were at least five stories up the ground level, many rows of windows displayed on the surface of the building, he could see a second and third wing, joint by skyway bridges at either sides of the main building in the shape of a triangle.

There was a garden area with benches, some man-made forestry and a playground, decorated with slides, a sandbox, a tree house and swings. He could see a few children were playing and running around, laughing without a care. There were elderly people on crutches and in wheelchairs, being escorted by people in blue scrubs, nurses he figured.

"What is this place…?" Kuroko mumbled, the place looked less hostile than he'd thought.

"A private institution created by the Organization. Where we house and protect homeless children and elderly Endangered Species, for free. This place also acts as a hospital for Werepeople. We have what they do not provide in public hospitals — especially for expecting mothers. We're proud to say we have much better facilities than those mediocre hospitals, one of the best in the country, I would say." The Weresnake explained.

"Not what you've expected, Mr. Arctic Fox?" The man laughed again, an amused grin spread over his features.

Kuroko threw him a glare. "I believe it is too early to assume mitigation, Mr. Weresnake. Some things are not as they appear to be." Just because the place looked decent, didn't excuse the forceful measures they took to bring Kuroko with them in the first place. Consent was lawful, coerced consent was not.

The man smiled, removing his glasses. Cold grey eyes stared at Kuroko strangely. "I like you, Mr. Arctic Fox. You don't hold back with your intentions, and you're clever. Too bad you're already spoken for, and underage as well.  _Hmmmm_. Truly, a pity." His gaze scanned Kuroko, up and down. Seemingly pleased with what he saw, he licked his lips.

Kuroko cringed, moving closer to Furihata. He suddenly felt sick.

The brunette responded by stepping forward, shielding Kuroko behind him. The Shibainu glared shakily at the much taller adult, he snarled deeply, fangs bared. "Kuroko is Kagami's mate. You can't touch him." He barked low, eyes glaring bravely.

The man held up his hands in the air, mocking his surrender. "Oh, I'm not as low as to attack other people's pregnant mate. You need not worry." He said. "And your offspring is valuable to our organization. I cannot possibly force you to abort it, can I? No, no. Not now, at least." His grin grew wider.

Kuroko felt a wave of cold nausea swirling within his stomach. Furihata twitched, holding on his ground protectively and glaring burning daggers now, as if his previously displayed fear had flown out the window completely. Kuroko could smell the brunette's scent burn deeper with fury, his appearance slowly morphed into that of a beast. Low rumbles and snarls tore out of his windpipe, deep and vivid.

" _You won't touch him. I won't let you!_ " He barked out, harsher and without restraint, fangs elongated and protruded against his bottom lip. His claws grew out of the tips of his nails, blackened and sharp.

The man laughed out loud. As if something really funny had just happened. It sounded cold and detached to Kuroko's ears.

"Can't you take a joke?  _Children_." He snorted, shrugging his shoulders casually. "Enough talking, follow me. You. Make sure to inform the Director of my arrival. And you. Come with us, and kindly escort these two guests from behind." The man then turned and walked away, towards the entrance of the building.

When he was several feet away, Furihata relaxed his posture, his features returned to normal. He turned around and faced Kuroko, face red and infuriated. " _What a fucking asshole, that creep! He makes me so mad!_ " He declared, in a whispered yell.

"What a  _major dick_! Did he just joke that he'd abort your baby just to  _mess around_  with our heads?  _He's fucking crazy!_  I'm not letting that creep get close to you and your baby, ever. I swear, Kuroko. You can bet on my pride as a Shibainu!" Furihata solemnly said, both hands on Kuroko's shoulders.

Kuroko blinked.

"Furihata-kun, I'm not actually pregnant… but I appreciate the concern. Thank you, you were very brave." Kuroko said, his anxiety forgotten for a moment, the nausea dissipated.

Furihata flushed, confusion slightly diverted the fury. "Wait. Y — you're not actually pregnant? But he said — "

Kuroko leaned closer to the brunette, whispering "I'll tell you the whole story later, Furihata-kun. For now, I think we should follow them." He glanced at two tall men behind them. The Weresnake was waiting for them by the entrance of the building.

He was reluctant and more than a little intimidated by the previous scene, but Furihata by his side made it more bearable for him to walk towards the Weresnake and up the stairs, his body tensed involuntarily as he got closer to the man. Furihata moved to his side, stubbornly glaring at the Weresnake, silently warning him not to get closer to Kuroko. The man only smiled and narrowed his grey eyes, looking pleased for his own twisted reasons.

They entered the lobby, into what looked like the most expensive looking hospital lobby Kuroko had ever seen. He was used to public hospitals, so he could tell the difference by the interior decor, the elegance of the furnishings, designed in curving lines instead of stiff angles and coloured golden champagne and shades of brown. It definitely screamed Private Hospital to him, in spades. He glanced to Furihata, and found the boy looked similarly impressed.

Just as they went past the front desk, sitting to the right just after the entrance, Kuroko's cellphone  _rang_.

He felt his blood freeze, his bag slipped off of his arm and fell to the ground, phone still ringing, resounding in the empty space of the hall. The Weresnake stopped in his tracks, slowly turning around. Kuroko stiffened, Furihata stepped slightly backwards, his leg hitting a potted palm tree behind him. Kuroko dropped to his knees, grabbing his bag and unzipping the largest pocket. He rummaged through the inside and took out his cellphone, Kagami's name flickered on the small screen of the un-flipped phone. He remembered morning practice. They'd missed it, that must be why —

A dark shadow fell upon him, his breath caught in his lungs when he lifted his head on reflex.

"I believe, Mr. Arctic Fox, that it is rude to turn on your phone in a hospital, hmm? Bad manners." The Weresnake man was bending over, hovering just above him.

His long, slim fingers wrapped themselves around the hand that held the phone, and Kuroko shivered at how cold the touch was. "I think I will confiscate it for the duration of your stay here, you need not worry about anything at all." Before he could say anything the man had taken his phone, flipped it open and pushed a button. The ringtone ended at once.

"That's better. Nice and quiet, don't you think?" He smiled, his grey eyes narrowed with delight. Then he straightened his back, turning to the other man behind them. "You, search the other boy. Empty out his pockets and bag. You don't mind if we search yours too, do you, Mr. Arctic Fox?" He looked down at Kuroko again, eyes slipped into thin slits.

Kuroko whipped his head and saw Furihata's arms pinned behind his back, effectively detaining him. They had taken off his jacket and bag, searching through the various pockets. His body from the waist up was pushed down onto the front desk, face scrunched up with pressure. "I found a phone." one of them declared, the phone concealed in his fist. Furihata looked at Kuroko, grimacing, his expression falling to apologetic.

"Wait, don't hurt him, please. Let him go. We're not fighting back, there's no need to be rough. We'll give you our things. Let him go, please." He quickly said, standing up and facing the Weresnake. They'd lost their chance, but he wouldn't stand to see Furihata hurt as an addition to the humiliation.

The Weresnake didn't do as he pleaded. Kuroko snapped, his throat vibrated in heated fury, letting out a roar of anger. " _Let him go, right now!_ "

The man's smile fell and his body grew stiff. With visible reluctance, he gestured at the other two, his movement tense.

"Fine. Release him, boys."

Furihata ran to Kuroko's side as soon as he was released, his jacket dangling, only worn on one arm. He looked dispirited. "I'm sorry Kuroko, it looks like we blew our chance."

"It's alright, Furihata-kun. This just isn't meant to be, right now. We'll get other chances." Kuroko assured him, his anger rapidly cooling down. "I'm just glad they didn't do worse to you. Are you okay?"

"Um, just a bit sore, they're kinda strong … " The brunette trailed off, rubbing his slightly reddened wrists. He didn't look worse for wear, at least.

Kuroko sighed in relief.

The Weresnake clapped his hands, gaining their attention. "Now, now. We have schedule to fulfill and people to meet, could you please follow me again? You will have  _plenty_  of time to spend together later, I'm sure." Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed, he didn't like the implication the man stated in his words.

Their pivotal chance missed and bags taken, they walked into the elevator with empty hands and surrounded by strangers. Kuroko could only hope that it would somehow get better, but he knew life wouldn't always go his way.

—

"You claim that you're not pregnant."

The director of the institute, a tall old man dressed in white coat, was sitting on a black leather sofa across of Kuroko. A tinted glass coffee table filled the space between them. Kuroko and Furihata sat across from him on the sofa, in the Director's large and rather traditional looking office. Their escorts stood by the entrance door, silent and impassive, as Kuroko told the Director of the misunderstanding.

Kuroko nodded. "Yes, I believe there is a misunderstanding." He calmly explained.

The Director didn't look as hostile as the Weresnake, he merely rubbed his stubbly chin in thought, processing what Kuroko had told him. "But you used the parasite? Have you checked yourself to a Gynecologist?" He asked, voice unexpectedly gentle. His back bent and chin dipped onto overlapped fists, elbows on his laps acted as his support.

Kuroko felt relieved he found someone fairly normal in this whole situation. However, he soon realized this man probably had been the one who ordered for his abduction. He couldn't rest easy just yet. Not everything was as it appeared to look like.

"No. I have not." He admitted.

"Then how can you be so sure?" The Director had asked.

Because Kuroko hadn't used any parasite at all, he wanted to say. But that would mean he'd rat on Kise, and he couldn't do that. Even if he was really, really pissed off at the blonde and swore Kise would know exactly how angry Kuroko could be. Kuroko thought of it for a second, mouth opened to say something, but it seemed that he couldn't find the right answer to that question.

"You don't know for sure." The Director reclined his back, posture relaxed.

Kuroko grimaced. "No, I don't. I suppose."

The Director stared at him inspecting his features closely, his dark blue eyes that seemed a bit familiar to him, glinted in strange curiosity. "You're an Arctic Fox, correct? I was very surprised when I found out, from my employee, when he told me the son of Kagami has a mate who is an Arctic Fox. Fifty years ago, there was only one left in Japan, your grandmother. Did you know that?" He glanced at the Weresnake by the door and waved.

The man took the signal and bowed. He left the room with the other two men, the door clicking shut behind them. Kuroko and Furihata glanced behind them, tension suddenly relieved off of their shoulders.

"Do you know my grandmother, Director?" Kuroko asked, taken aback.

"Oh yes. She used to live here in fact, when she was young. I was a student, when the Director at that time, my father, brought her here. She was only twelve, having just lost her family in an accident. She was beautiful. She looked like you. Her hair and her eyes, as blue as the depths of the sea… " He looked up at the ceilings, gaze engrossed, as if reminiscing.

"My grandmother lived here…? I didn't know. She said she didn't have any relatives …" That was why when grandfather died, she came to live with them, until she died over a year ago. She never told Kuroko what happened to her parents.

"Yes, yes. We house orphans of Endangered Species until they came of age. Because their parents usually passed away from illness, they tend to be frail in physique. Nobody would take them in, the government funds about half of our budget. The rest is private donations from interested parties. This institution is crucial for the preservation of their species." The Director explained, his gaze returned to Kuroko again.

"Your grandmother was an exquisite woman. Not only was she beautiful, she was well mannered and gentle, clever, as well. She was blessed with good health, too. By the time she was sixteen, every eligible bachelor in Japan wanted to be her mate, plenty had sent her many mating offers with payment in gold and jewels. It wasn't only her breed that attracted them, she was simply a wonderful woman. She was a close friend of mine." Kuroko detected a glint of sadness in the Director's eyes, his features worn and wrinkled, the sadness sparked a lonely image.

"But alas, she fell in love with a Primate. A young man who happened to be a classmate of hers in school, your grandfather. Everybody opposed her decision to date him, but she wouldn't relent. She'd have wasted her breed if she married your grandfather — but she did anyway. They eloped and she left this institution. I heard she gave birth to a Primate child. It was a pity, but I had hoped she would at least be happy."

"She was." Kuroko couldn't help but say. "She was happy, grandmother and grandfather always seemed happy, to me at least. They stayed together until grandfather died, when I was eight." He heard from his father, that her health deteriorated after giving birth to him. And she had stayed frail since, that was what eventually weakened her, many years later. Kuroko fell quiet.

The Director looked at him, the wrinkles around his lips softened when he smiled. "Is that so? I am glad to hear it." He lowered his head. Kuroko could still feel the sadness in his posture.

"I hope you can forgive this old man, dear child. In all my life, I have seen many, many children and adults, of which belong to the Endangered Species, grow weak and pass away, simply because we were too late to help them. I hope you'll forgive that we've taken a forceful measure to get you here. When I heard that Sayako's grandson might be pregnant, I wanted to see you myself, no matter what. Same-sex pregnancy is difficult, and you're still so young … " He trailed off, tone grew fainter by the second.

Kuroko found himself unable to say anything.

"I don't know what to say, Mr. Director. To be honest, I do not appreciate being taken here against my will." He found himself admitting. "I suppose your intentions are well, but your methods are crude. Please be more mindful of it, next time. It may cause unintended hostility and violence."

The Director lifted his gaze, eyes sparked with relief and joy.

"Thank you, dear child… I am grateful, for your kindness. I will take your suggestion to heart." He stood up, inching forward until his knees hit the edge of the coffee table. "Child… could I… could I please take a look at you, closer?" He asked, softly.

Kuroko couldn't find a reason to excuse, without making him feel regret. So he stood up from where he sat, then he walked over, around the coffee table. He stood close and let the Director touched his face with both hands, Kuroko felt the minute trembles in them, his eyes filled with longing and sadness as he did so.

"Oh… you look so much like her… Sayako-san… I haven't seen you… for so long…" He whispered, almost inaudible, as his fingers feathering over Kuroko's features. His deep blue eyes welled up, tears dripped down his cheeks, caught in the ripples of his skin, before more tears added and the rivulets spilled down, dripping to his jaw. He sobbed, nose runny, and whispered his grandmother's name over and over again.

Kuroko knew the man wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the younger form of his grandmother, in him. He didn't know what happened in the past, and what his grandmother had with this man, but he found that he didn't mind.

When the Director asked him to do a pregnancy test, Kuroko agreed to it, since he needed to clear the misunderstanding at once. The Director personally escorted him to the Gynecologist clinic in the west wing. Both Furihata and Kuroko were relieved they didn't have to be left alone with the Weresnake guy, although the rest trailed behind them all the way. Once they were there the doctor ushered everyone out except for the Director, Kuroko felt bad having to leave Furihata alone with them.

He was ordered to lie down in a bed, the doctor gave him a sort of clear gel that was cold to touch. He did as told and spread the gel over his stomach, then the doctor turned on the machinery and put him under a sonogram. It lasted for around twenty to thirty minutes for the check-up and consultation, the doctor explained that he found that Kuroko had not been pregnant — which he had expected from the start. But the Director needed hard evidence. The Director had looked both disappointed, yet relieved when he heard the result.

When they left the room, Furihata was more than a little eager to see him again. Kuroko told him the result, Furihata was surprised, but he'd say the brunette felt more relieved than anything else. The Director brought them back to his office and managed to persuade Kuroko and Furihata to spend a night there, because it was a long way back, and he wanted Kuroko to tell him more about his grandmother. The Director had treated them courteously, that he found it a bit hard to refuse the offer.

"Well, I guess it's okay? It's only for one night…" Furihata said after Kuroko told the Director they'd discuss about it.

"I mean, he looks like a really nice guy, unlike that snake guy… but he's the boss right? It should be fine, I think? Looks like he misses your grandmother a lot too, Kuroko… I don't know, I guess I'll leave it to you. I'm not leaving by myself if you stay though, I still don't trust those guys." He told Kuroko, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he glanced at the impassive man.

Kuroko contemplated it for a bit longer. It was only for one night. The Director promised they'd be escorted back to their homes first thing in the morning, so he decided … he'd accept the offer.

The Director was delighted when he told him his decision. They were treated to meals and drinks, as they talked hours upon hours, Kuroko told him various things about his grandmother that he knew, and the things he heard from his father and mother. The Director was happy with everything Kuroko told him, and he began telling his own stories.

How he and his grandmother had been friends since she was brought into the institution, how sorry he was when he didn't support her when she wanted to marry Kuroko's grandfather, how he wished he could apologize to her but she already eloped to somewhere out of his reach … that he hadn't seen her since, for over forty years.

When he heard the stories, Kuroko felt like he began to understand why his grandmother decided to isolate Kuroko from the Werepeople society. Because even when their lifestyles were more open and encouraged personal indulgences, they could be oppressing and forceful when it came to producing offspring and choosing mates, especially to those of Endangered Species — due to the concern with their fertility.

To be protected, fed and cared for, but it was nothing more than a gilded cage; beautiful, finely crafted in gold and jewels, but his grandmother was not free. Kuroko understood why, even when she was a Wereperson, she was an Arctic Fox first. She was one of few who took to her bestial nature. She hadn't wanted to be with anyone else, only his grandfather, their nature was that of a monogamous animal.

Even his own relationship with Kagami, even after they'd had sex and spent the Heat Week together, they'd never promised to be faithful and exclusive in long-term. Someday, Kagami could decide to leave Kuroko and mate with someone else. Or still be with Kuroko, but mingle with others, on the sides. Perhaps what Kuroko felt as he imagined the scenario, was what his grandmother had felt about the loose morals of the Werepeople. He knew, because he was also an Arctic Fox in nature.

He didn't want to think about it, but the painful thought was there in the back of his mind, like thorns wrapping around his heart.

The conversation lasted for hours, until it was well into dinnertime, and The Director had invited both Kuroko and Furihata to eat together. They accepted, then they were escorted to their assigned bedroom where they would stay the night. Their luck ran out when it was the Weresnake guy who was assigned to escort them, even though both Kuroko and Furihata had done their best to avoid him.

"Enjoying your stay so far?" The man had said, as they walked down the empty hallway.

It was past visiting hours, in a private hospital, it just seemed a lot quieter than public ones. Neither of them replied, they knew by now the man was twisted. He gained pleasure from messing around with their minds, his words were manipulative and venomous. Even when they refused to entertain the Snake, however, he seemed to ignore that fact and went on talking to himself.

"You think you have the Director wrapped around your little finger, hmm? Please don't mind him too much, he's mellowed out with age. Senile and soft in the head, you see. He seems to think everyone is his grandson, Daiki-san. How awfully charitable of him, don't you think?" The man continued talking, Furihata and Kuroko followed him from behind. Another man in a black suit was following a few steps behind them as well.

Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows when the man continued his sarcastic mockery of his own superior. How could he insult the head of this institution, his boss, so freely under his own roof?

"Truthfully, it won't be for long. A younger, much more competent leader, with fresher ideas will soon replace him. Someone who can actually save those beautiful, exotic breeds, by any means necessary. Raise their numbers, plain and simple. Someone who can revive even the Arctic Foxes in Japan, once more. Like you, Mr. Arctic Fox. We need plenty more of you."

"What do you mean by that? He's the Director of this hospital." Kuroko found himself asking, what the man said made no sense.

The Weresnake chuckled. "Oh, he is indeed the Director,  _presently_. But he is, but one person. A mere senile old man who's past his prime time to retire quietly, yet refuses to do so obediently — he should have left years ago, in fact. It would've been better for him." He stopped in his track and turned his head, Kuroko could see a cryptic smile bloomed on his lips.

"And we, well. We are  _many_."

—

Kuroko couldn't sleep in the foreign, cold bed.

It was a hospital, the air had strong scents of detergent and bleach, medicine, sick people and chemical compounds, a disastrous cocktail mix for Werepeople with a keen sense of smell. He had to forcefully block the unnatural fragrances out of his nostrils. He tossed and turned in the unfamiliar bed, looking up at the ceilings tiredly. They had been given a VVIP room to stay in for the night, a huge room that looked more like a hotel room with a hospital ward's signature features.

It had two big single beds — one for the patient, another for a guest, a couch in front of a wide LCD TV screen, a kitchenette and dining table set, air conditioner, a wardrobe, an attached bathroom, mini fridge and tea sets. Still, with all the comfort, he was unable to sleep. It had been a long day full of tension and he was exhausted, but still his eyes were wide open. His bed smelled wrong, he couldn't get comfortable no matter what he did.

"Kuroko, are you awake…?" Furihata called out in soft voice.

Kuroko glanced over and saw the brunette just as wide awake as he was. "Yes, Furihata-kun. I can't seem to fall asleep."

"Me too." Furihata said quietly, he was huddled in blanket and was lying in his stomach.

"Wanna talk? Maybe if we talk we'll feel sleepy after a while, you know, tired of talking?"

Kuroko blinked twice. "Sure, Furihata-kun. What would you like to talk about?" He asked, for lack of coming up with an interesting topic.

Furihata's fingers fiddled with the edge of the duvet, his gaze shifted slightly. "That guy… said some weird things when he walked us, didn't he? He scares me. A lot. I mean, he's a Heavy Seed, so he's already intimidating enough, but… I've been with Kagami and saw the Generation of Miracle up close, and I never felt that way before … wait, okay maybe, when I faced Akashi I felt intimidated and scared. But it didn't exactly feel like it either. He's like… creepier.  _Way_   _creepier_."

"I don't like him either. The more I talk to him, the less I like him." Kuroko admitted, furrowing his eyebrows in irritation. He didn't like to remember that man's face. "He seems to enjoy torturing others, it's an unpleasant impression." In fact, he reminded him of Hanamiya, but his way of torture was less physical, more of the mental variation, the way he manipulated other people's emotions with such ease.

"I know right! I mean, he even joked like that… he gives me the shivers. I mean, who says stuff like that and claims it's a joke! He's a creepy asshole." Furihata vehemently said, nodding his head several times. "Isn't that weird? He's like, an adult. But he's acting so awful, to us kids … I wonder if the other adults are like that guy?"

"I'm sure there aren't many people like that, Furihata-kun. Our teachers, Coach Aida and the Director aren't like that." He assured.

The brunette chewed his lips, thinking.

"You're right. But I really don't trust that guy." His face scrunched up in disgust. "Especially the way he looks at you Kuroko, it's disturbing. I should never leave you two alone together, no matter what … my gut says so. He's bad news."

"The way he looks at me?" Kuroko asked, one eyebrow rose in question.

"You didn't notice? Um, how do I explain it?" The brunette brought a hand to scratch the top of his head. He looked thoughtful. "It's like a subtle change. At first he was like, looked at you like you're this really expensive gem that must be put in a glass box in a museum, or something, but later on… he looks at you like he wanna steal you, the expensive gem inside the box, it's really creepy. "

"That's a rather unusual analogy, Furihata-kun. "

Furihata huffed. "Well, I'm not good at explaining stuff. In other words, you should stay the heck away from that guy. He's bad news."

"If I can have my way, Furihata-kun, I'll never be within close proximity with that man either. We only have to bear with it a while more until tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right. Thank god for that." Furihata yawned. "Hmm, I'm getting kinda sleepy. I guess it works, huh?"

He was feeling relaxed too, after talking to Furihata. The tension had subsided considerably, allowing Kuroko to act on his exhaustion and feel a little sleepy.

"Yes. Let's go to sleep, Furihata-kun. Good night."

"Good night, Kuroko!"

Furihata let out a wide yawn, then turned himself around, snuggling into the blanket. Kuroko hadn't fallen asleep just yet, he stared at the ceiling silently as Furihata's breaths became steady and slow. The seconds went by, Kuroko closed his eyes slowly, an image of Kagami's sleeping face flickered behind his eyelids before he slipped into a deep slumber.

Kuroko woke up early in the morning, around seven o'clock. Furihata was still sleeping, his blanket had wrapped around him in a shape of a caterpillar. It was oddly endearing.

He went ahead to brush his teeth and shower first. They had given back their bags at least — still no cellphone, Kuroko had a feeling that Snake man had something to do with it — he had spare shirts and underwear for the morning practice, and changed into fresh sets of clothes.

After he was clean, fresh and awake, he woke Furihata, nudging at the caterpillar bundle that contained the brunette within. He entertained himself with the image of Furihata, coming out of the cocoon as a butterfly. Instead he just rolled off the bed and fell onto to the carpeted floor because his limbs got caught up in the wrap when he jolted awake. He woke up looking even more disoriented. It was funny.

Someone put breakfast on the small dining table, which he assumed was part of the VVIP treatment, so both of them filled their stomachs gladly. The western style breakfast reminded him of Kagami's cooking — the redhead had always preferred cooking western dishes than Asian types. When they finished, they wondered if they should leave the room, or at least get their phones back, because people would worry that they disappeared without a word — especially their families.

Kuroko wondered what Kagami was doing. Did he notice Kuroko had been missing? The Weresnake had forcefully cut the last call before Kuroko got a chance to pick it up. He wished he could call the Tiger, as soon as possible. He wanted to see Kagami.

As they contemplated whether they should go out, or wait until someone came in to pick them up, the door was slammed open with a loud noise, snatching both of their attention instantaneously, turning their heads with snaps.

The Weresnake man strode inside, Kuroko's instincts flared crimson when he saw two men in black suit entered the room as well from behind him. Kuroko stood up with a violent jolt, the chair squeaked loudly with the sudden movement, nearly falling over. Furihata had done the same, standing up at full alert, snarling deeply. The man was smiling, his grey eyes turning into slits in delight, arms spreading apart.

"There has been a change of plan — you will no longer be leaving this institution, until further notice." He declared, voice high and pristine with unconcealed glee.

"Which means, you will be staying here,  _indefinitely_. Mr. Arctic Fox."

He brought a hand up, and snapped his fingers.

The men behind immediately rushed towards Furihata and detained him, unable to move, each had one of his arms locked in a tight hold. The men were both taller and buffer than Furihata, he didn't stand a chance to resist them as he was dragged away forcefully, the soles of his shoes scrapping against the floor and kicking at the empty air in vain.

"NO! LET ME GO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO US! _KUROKO! LET ME THE FUCK GO, YOU BASTARDS! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!_ " The brunette yelled hoarsely, his arms tensing, but couldn't pull himself away with own strength, even after he had transformed halfway.

"FURIHATA-KUN!"

Kuroko leaped over the dining table with one hand, sliding across the wooden surface and knocking it over. He landed safely and quickly attempted to catch a hold of the brunette, an arm outstretched desperately, his legs kicked the ground, but Furihata was already dragged outside, just beyond the door. His brown eyes widened in horror when the Weresnake stepped in front of Kuroko, his form effectively barring his path.

He could still see Furihata's face from the small gap between the man's arm and the slowly closing door. The brunette's face twisted in fury, canine fangs long and sharpened, as he opened his mouth wide open.

Furihata screamed louder, his voice broke into two octaves higher, louder, more desperate, and completely infuriated.

"SON OF A BITCH! LEAVE HIM THE FUCK ALONE YOU ASSHOLE!  _LET ME GO!_  FUCKING LEAVE HIM ALONE —  _KUROKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ "

His screams and wails were muffled when the gap in the door closed, locking with a click. He could hear still Furihata, his distinct yells were apparent, but his voice was getting farther and farther with each passing second. Kuroko stood in shock, the man had blocked the door with his body. He had to go through him if he wanted to go after Furihata.

His heart pounded in his ears, and rage seethed slowly from below his belly, his blood boiling, seeping into his head, clouding his mind.

"Please, move." He snarled, harsh rumbles echoed in his throat. His claws nudged at the skin of his palms as he balled them.

The man smiled easily. "No."

Kuroko wanted to snap, but he was holding back. He would get nothing if he couldn't cool down. No matter what, his strength wouldn't be enough to resist these people and take Furihata back. He was outnumbered and unused to fighting.

"Why are you doing this? The Director has allowed us to leave. We should be going home right now."

The Weresnake crossed his arms, tapping a finger on his chin.

"Yes, the former Director did say something like that, if I recall correctly. However, the Vice President said otherwise, unfortunately. The former Director was deemed too old you see, and this morning we received an official notice from the board of directors, that the Former Director was to be officially discharged for being, how do I say this, 'unfit for the job.' "

Kuroko clenched his jaw. "The vice president?"

His smile grew wider, arms spread apart once more. "The former Director's son and heir, the current President Director of this institution. About time, I'd say. He is a far better choice for our leader than that rickety old thing. More efficient, with fresher ideas, and most importantly, he brings results. Not babbling on, speaking of idealistic nonsense." He spat onto the floor in distaste.

"What's that have to do with me?" Kuroko growled, his claws had started digging into the flesh of his palms.

"The new Director couldn't possibly let slip the last remaining Arctic Fox in Japan now, can he? Not when you're so ripe, so young and so ready to breed." He took a step closer, and Kuroko stepped back. His heel immediately hit the mess of tables and chairs that had fallen over during the struggle. The plates were shattered into pieces near his feet, sharp slices scattered across the area.

"I refuse. I am not an animal." Kuroko firmly said, his feet tried to make space for him to withdraw, slowly maneuvering his steps away from the broken porcelain pieces.

The man kept getting closer, a crazed, obsessive look laid upon his face. It unnerved him when the man started releasing his pheromones, as if wanting to seduce and proposition Kuroko. All it did was made him nauseous, disgusted. It wasn't at all the way Kagami made him feel. Far, far away from it. It smelled like damp charcoal and ashes, repulsive. It sickened him. The snake slithered out of him, its long, slick tongue peeked out as it looked at Kuroko, its beady eyes shone mischievously.

The man chuckled darkly.

"You're a strange one, Mr. Arctic Fox. Something about you… is very captivating. Believe me, I have never been attracted to a brat, no — I'm no pedophile. But you, you're different. The more I see you, smell you, the way you speak your mind bluntly, yet stay ever so eloquent, the more appealing you are to me. I feel like I want to tear down that composure of yours, with my own bare hands. But, it's strange … " He stopped in his track suddenly, a thumb stroked the line of his jaw in contemplation.

Kuroko halted his movement, alert.

"I can't seem to decide which I want more. Whether I want to violate you … or that I want to grovel beneath your feet. Don't you think it's curious, Mr. Arctic Fox?"

"You're sick. That's what I think." Kuroko sharply told him.

The man chuckled.

"Yes, well, I suppose that is the truth. I am a wicked man. I won't deny that." He took a step forward again, and Kuroko backed away.

"You still smell heavily of your mate — Kagami Taiga, is it? A truly exotic mix, I had wanted to see your offspring with him. But oh well, I guess I'm lucky.  _Now, I don't have to hold back_. This is the one chance I'd ever get in a whole lifetime — An Arctic Fox and a Retrograde. I wonder what it feels like, making love to you? To fill you up to the brim with my scent?"

Kuroko snorted, harshly. "I think you misspelled 'rape', Mr. Weresnake."

"Clever tongue. I'm curious what kind of flavor your tongue possess? Does it taste like honeyed wine, as I imagine it to be?"

Kuroko frowned deeply, his mind searched for a way to escape this horrible man, not quite seeing a solid method yet. He needed one right now.

"Maybe after I've bitten it off, you can tell my cadaver how it tastes." He retorted, having enough of his mind games.

From the corner of his eyes, Kuroko could see the wall now stood behind him and there was no other way to escape. Kuroko bit his lip, he might have to resort to desperate measures. He still needed to find Furihata before something unimaginable happened to the brunette. And there was no way he would let this man touch him. Over his dead body — although he didn't plan to be dying anytime soon, especially  _not now_.

In the back of his mind, he called for Kagami, wishing the redhead were there for him. But this situation forced him to deal with this predicament alone, without even Furihata on his side. He had never thought to fight in his true form, like the others did, he had never relied on his bestial nature when it came to anything. Not even Basketball. He doubted he could control it efficiently when it's completely released, but at this point, he had no choice. His normal strength wouldn't be enough to put a scratch on a Heavy Seed.

Kuroko took a sharp inhale, and released the gate of his mental fortress.

A foreign, heated sensation washed over him from the inside as he gave into his bestial nature. Unlike before, it was a different sort of energy — white hot, turbulent and unbridled, bubbled up into quick boil, scorching. Every inch of his skin pricked and every hair in his body stood on end. His fangs protruded against his lips, drawing a bit of blood as he snapped his jaw tight, teeth clenching and snarling. The claws of his hands and feet elongated almost instantaneously, scrapping against the carpeted floor and ripping small tears in it. With short jolts of pain, his knees and limbs shook with heavy quakes, the bones and muscles shifted and changed with loud cracks, into a form that allowed him better movement.

He felt his eyes burst with a flash of heat, his vision turned bleary for mere seconds. A sharp jolt of pain stabbed his ears, and he grew more sensitive to sounds and noises, even the minute heart beats of the man in front of him. His humane rationality slipped away, his head blared with an animalistic instinct to survive, to tear apart everything standing between him and his mate. Low rumbles filled his throat, resonating all the way down his lungs, tearing out of his windpipe, he could hear himself sounding nothing like a human.

The man in front of him reeled back, grey eyes lost their maddened glee, replaced with a strange, horrified awe. His lips parted, its corners tugged into a half-smile, half-agape.

"Is that your true form, Mr. Arctic Fox?" He breathed out, his voice shook in twisted ecstasy. He was panting, short and shallow, face flushed in excitement as he stared at Kuroko. "It's so very, magnificently beautiful."

Kuroko snarled, his mind rapidly strayed from its humane edge, nearly losing control of himself and tearing into the Weresnake at once. "You shouldn't underestimate me, Mr. Weresnake." His voice was unrecognizable to himself, harsh and low, beastly. "Even a cornered rat will bite a lion when it's desperate enough."

The man just stood there, staring with that maddened look on his face. As if his body was frozen in place.

Kuroko didn't wait — he stepped forward, his lower body pricked with a feeling of intense discomfort, he wasn't used to his true form. He tested his new limbs, bouncing himself on the soles of his transformed feet. His body felt lighter, as if he could leap ten feet in the air if he tried. Instead, Kuroko leaped forward. The scenery around him blurred, as if he was riding a speeding car, but the man in front of him remained in pristine image, his gaze locked onto the tendon of his neck, claws flexed and spread.

The man reacted, but a little too late, he moved out of the way just as Kuroko's claws grazed against the thin skin of his neck, a few millimeters in. He kicked the ground when he realized the man had avoided his assault, throwing himself out of the way and far from potential counterattack. He bumped the LCD TV in process, knocking it down. Its crystal screen cracked when it fell. Kuroko raised his body, looking over at the man in the corner of the room, the wounds on his neck dripped small stream of red blood, seeping into his white shirt.

For once, the Weresnake looked shocked, bending his back vulnerably. A hand clasped over his wound to stop the bleeding. Kuroko snarled in displeasure, he had very nearly succeeded in incapacitating the man. He flexed his claws again, heard the small cracks his bones made as the tendons jerked. His bent his knees slightly, about to jump, his gaze locked at the man.

The Weresnake looked at him, having lost any traces of his infuriating smile, face blanching into deathly white. Kuroko felt a sense of unabashed joy, the beast in him preened and howled, congratulating him for wounding an enemy. So this was how it felt to transform fully into Wereform, Kuroko had never felt so… powerful. So light on his feet. Unstoppable.

He was about to assume a second assault attempt, when a loud noise snatched his attention away. He quickly took in the sight of the door, lying on the floor. Its hinges were broken in with incredible force.

The most unexpected person entered the room, a tall boy with dark skin and navy blue hair, looking enraged and semi-transformed into his Wereform, eyes darting erratically.

"TETSU! ARE YOU HERE? I SWEAR I HEARD SOMETHING CRASH, ARE YOU OKAY? — "

Kuroko blinked, his posture relaxed unconsciously at the familiar sight of a friend. The sense of danger and the survival instinct no longer blared violently at him, as if steadily muffled beyond an invisible screen. His rationality was coming back, slowly.

"Aomine-kun?" Kuroko managed to say, his voice slipping into a much softer tone.

Aomine whipped his head to him, sharply. Deep blue eyes bore down on him, widened, his mouth hung agape.

"Tetsu…!? Is that you? You — you look  _different_." He said, cocking his eyebrows up, staring at Kuroko in disbelief, wary.

Kuroko was suddenly reminded that he was fully transformed into his Wereform, realizing that he might look unrecognizable to others. He breathed in and out, retreating his bestial instincts to allow his humanity and rationality back. Under a minute, his features had changed back into human, although his clothes were ripped and shredded on at several parts of his body, due to the extreme transformation.

Aomine looked at him after he'd turned back, looking relieved, less tensed. "It's really you, Tetsu. I've never seen you look like that before."

"It's also my first time to have transformed myself so far, Aomine-kun — I was in a rather dangerous situation, I didn't have much choice." Aomine's gaze followed the direction Kuroko eye's had taken, as he turned to look at the Weresnake man, who looked worse than before. The blood had stained the front of his shirt, down to his chest. He was looking paler than before, a result of the blood loss.

Aomine looked around at the mess they made all across the VVIP room — the broken TV, the shattered plates and the overturned furniture. The rips on the carpet that Kuroko's claws made. He bared his fangs furiously. "Kirishima, your bastard. What did you do to Tetsu!?" He roared, stepping forward. His nose twitched at the leftover pheromones the Weresnake emitted previously, his expression turned more enraged at the implication.

"Son of a whore. Get out of my sight! If I see you get close to Tetsu again, I swear to god, I'll make sure you are fucking ruined." He barked harshly, eyes flashing in fury.

The Weresnake man, Kirishima, jumped, hand still clamped over his bleeding wound. He tossed glances at Aomine and Kuroko, before he gathered his wits and moved, almost stumbling on his way out, blood dripping everywhere. When the man had left the room completely, Kuroko could finally breathe easier, his legs were suddenly weak, stabbing with discomfort he suspected was due to his sudden transformation.

The bones, muscles and joints in his limbs were still shifting around, slowly returning into normal human limbs. He slumped to the floor, only realizing he was drenched in sweat, traces of adrenaline was all that was left in him.

Aomine rushed to his side, thrusting a hand towards Kuroko. "You okay?"

Kuroko stared at him, accepting the hand. "Aomine-kun… what are you doing here? How did you know I was here?" He asked after he stood, Aomine gently led him to sit on the edge of the bed. His body was weak in the aftermath of the confrontation, mind slightly disoriented and aching.

"My grandpa called me. He's the Director of this hospital." The revelation shocked Kuroko, he stared at his ex-teammate, mouth agape. "He said you — Sayako's grandson was in danger, or something. He begged me to come and help you. I didn't think it was actually you, Tetsu, until — shit, I totally forgot. Wait." He dashed out of the room abruptly, leaving Kuroko alone.

A short moment later, he came back, carrying the small body of a dog. Kuroko's blood froze in his veins as he took the sight of the Shibainu, blood stained his fur and front leg, eyes closed and limp. Kuroko reached out for the dog, Aomine let him take Furihata's body into his arms, his fingers shook when he touched the fresh blood on his fur.

"How did this…? Why?" He choked, cradling the dog gently in his arms, Furihata was still breathing. Still warm. But he was wounded and unconscious, his breathing was weak.

"That shorty was screaming so loudly down the hallways, it caught my attention when I was looking around. Especially when he was calling your name, Tetsu. I was looking for the source of it, then I saw he was struggling with the bodyguards, fighting them off." Aomine scratched the back of his head, averting his gaze with guilt written over his features.

"Then he turned into his animal form to get himself off of them and run, he saw me from a distance — I didn't have enough time to help, sorry. He was caught and kicked by one of them, he hit the wall, hard. I think he injured himself somehow before too. Before he passed out, he told me where you were … I rushed here with him, I left him on the sofa outside when I heard a crash from the room… I thought you were in serious trouble."

Kuroko didn't say anything.

He couldn't. His voice was caught in his windpipe with an aching, throbbing pain. He merely ducked his head, his face drowned in soft, brown fur. He could smell the iron tang of blood on Furihata, and he felt himself choke, biting back the sob that stung the back of his throat. He whimpered faintly, almost inaudible. Aomine stayed quiet, standing impassively in front of him.

"I'll get the doctor, I'll be back in a minute." Kuroko heard him say, he felt a hand tap his shoulder before Aomine left, footsteps receded into the background.

Kuroko held the small, weak body closer to him. Furihata's fur was now soaked, blots of wetness flattened a few patches of his fur, from the tears Kuroko couldn't bring himself to hold back. He sobbed whispered apologies to the brunette, over and over again, wishing he hadn't dragged him along into this disaster.

Furihata didn't reply him.

—

TBC.

—


	7. Gilded Cage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Latest version is edited and proofed by  **KC**!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 7: Gilded Cage

—

"A six inch gash on the left arm, stitched. A head concussion. A swollen eye, and bruising to the stomach area. No internal bleeding. No bone fractures. Light abrasions on the knees and elbows. He'll have a fever from the wounds, for a couple of days." The doctor said.

"However, he should be fine after resting properly and taking some medicine. Other than that, apply salves for the bruises and scratches. You may also use an icepack, to decrease the swelling of the eye. The concussion is thankfully not serious, he should recover without long-term consequences, with time."

The doctor smiled sympathetically at the end of his explanation, Kuroko only nodded silently, feeling a dark shadow cast upon his mind.

"To reduce the swelling, ice the swollen eye once every hour, don't let it sit for more than twenty minutes at a time. Don't apply pressure. You can do so up to 24 - 48 hours, there will still be discoloration of the skin, but the swelling should be reduced significantly. The bruises will fade in time." The doctor instructed, scribbling something on his notepad. He turned and spoke to the nurse next to him, about visiting schedules and general check ups.

Kuroko's absent gaze inspected the Furihata's unconscious body on the hospital bed. He had casts on his arm and his torso, bandage patches over the scratches on his elbows, chin, and some wrapped around his head. His complexion was pale, discolored bruises and welts decorated his sickly features. Scabs were forming over the small scratches, for some that hadn't healed properly, the torn skin was red and slightly wet. His lips were cracked, split and tinted purplish red, dried blood crusted at the corner. His left wrist was hooked on IV drips, lying feebly on his side.

The smell of alcoholic disinfectant, antiseptic and dried blood lingered strong in the air, choking him with the bitterness of the reality that Kuroko had been the cause of all these.

"I understand, I will watch over him." He was surprised how calm his own voice sounded. Revolting.

The doctor told him something about prescription drugs and some other relevant things, and Kuroko only nodded, taking notes of all the details he must remember for Furihata. The nurse brought him some icepacks in a box to use for the bruise on Furihata's eye, which he accepted gratefully.

He sat on a chair by the bed, and started pressing an icepack on the swollen bruise that had grew twice its size, changing his position now and then. His eyes gazed at the clock to count the time limit of each hour.

The doctor and the nurse left the room a while later. Kuroko stayed still within the deafening silence, only Furihata's steady breaths and the numbing cold spreading out from the icepack kept him awake. After a few minutes, his other hand reached to check the brunette's temperature, and felt it hard warmed up, now higher than his own. Biting his lip, Kuroko moved the pack to settle on his forehead lightly, ignoring the frost biting the pads of his fingers.

His gaze was locked on the clock, about fifteen to eighteen minutes later he removed the ice pack. His right hand had lost its warmth, numb with cold.

Kuroko shrugged it off, simply went to the bathroom to soak his fingers in warm water briefly before returning to his seat by Furihata's bedside, a bowl of water and small towel in hand. An hour later, he repeated the process.

Three hours in, Furihata still hadn't woken up. His eye was now purplish blue in colour — still swollen, but reduced slightly by the icepack. The fever escalated, the brunette started tossing and groaning, but not waking. Kuroko did his best to wipe the sweat off of his face with a wet towel, leaving it freshly squeezed over his forehead when he'd stop tossing.

When the icepack he used melted, Kuroko grabbed another one from the box and continued tending to the bruise, carefully.

At some point, Aomine dropped by. He brought prescribed medicine for Furihata that the hospital had paid for, and some food and drinks from the hospital cafeteria. Kuroko realized he hadn't eaten anything for the past six hours or so. His ex-teammate entered the room with plastic bags in arm, and Kuroko stood up in alert when he saw a man in a black suit and tinted glasses tailing Aomine, his claws about to extend.

Aomine held up a hand in front of him.

"He's one of mine." He explained, a thumb pointed in the direction of the man, who was standing impassively by the door. "I got some from Gramps' team to guard the area. Wouldn't want Kirishima's shitfaces coming back to you. Besides I'm here, he's a freak, but he's not stupid."

Kuroko lowered his body into the seat again, eying the bodyguard outside the room warily. "I can't really tell them apart, Aomine-kun. It's bothering me, honestly." He admitted, standing down but not quite ready to let go of his suspicion.

The taller boy looked at him, eyes furrowed deeply.

"Tetsu, what the hell is with your hand?" He lowered the plastic bags and snatched Kuroko's hand.

Kuroko looked at his hand and noticed the slight discoloration at the tips of his fingers, the area around his nails and finger pads were tinted in dark red, hard to touch. The skin dried up, flaky. When Aomine pressed against them, it ached with a dull numbness, Aomine's hands felt hot against his. The taller boy's face scrunched up, eyebrows furrowed and hard lines appeared on his forehead.

"You got frostbite! How the hell did you get this? This room has a heater on." He exclaimed, enclosing the cold fingers with his palms and rubbing heat into them. Kuroko winced at the slight pain he felt, from the pressure of the hold.

"I was — I was using an icepack for Furihata-kun's bruises." He admitted. Warmth was slowly returning into his hand.

Aomine looked at him in disbelief. "Are you nuts!? What month do you think this is!? How long have you been doing this!?"

"Aomine-kun, you're too loud. It's only been a few hours … " He also had been using cool water to wipe Furihata's sweat, but he didn't think mentioning it would help his case.

"Only  _a few hours_ ," Aomine repeated, incredulous. "Who told you that? The doctor? Someone's gonna get a salary cut this month."

"Please don't do that, I wanted to do it myself." Kuroko said, stubbornly glaring at his own feet. "That's — that's the least I can do. For Furihata-kun. After all he's hurt because of me." He felt heat prickle the back of his eyes, and looked away, holding back the turbulent emotions behind a stiff mask.

The warmth Aomine rubbed into his hand felt traitorous, undeserving. Furihata was lying on the bed, wounded and unconscious, his body feverish — why wasn't it Kuroko instead? Why was it only Furihata? Furihata didn't deserve this. He had done nothing wrong. It was all Kuroko's fault. He shouldn't have dragged him along to this place.

Aomine squeezed Kuroko's hand so tightly, it started to hurt.

"Tetsu, you — " He suddenly stopped his words. Kuroko turned his gaze to him, and found Aomine's lips had stiffened into a line, staring at him with a hard expression. " … at any rate, we should get your hands checked. It's only frostbite, you should dip it in warm water. No more icepacks, use the towel if you want to hold it. Not with bare hands."

Kuroko nodded blankly. "Okay."

The taller boy's eyebrows furrowed, looking concerned. "Tetsu, you should leave the room for a bit. Go eat or something. Walk around."

"No, Aomine-kun." Kuroko shook his head firmly, staring at Furihata's form on the bed. His chest was pierced by a shadow of dismay. "I'll stay here. When Furihata-kun wakes up, I don't want him to be alone."

Aomine clucked his tongue impatiently, looking annoyed. "Fine. Make sure you eat something at least. And don't touch the icepacks anymore, you get it? Wet towel's enough." He bent down to pick the plastic bags full of snacks and bottled drinks off the floor, then shoved them into Kuroko's arms. The latter accepted them, cradling the bags carefully as not to spill the contents.

"Thank you, Aomine-kun. You've helped us so much."

Aomine looked at him, expression oddly strained. "It's too soon to thank me, Tetsu."

Kuroko blinked and stared at the taller boy, parting his lips to ask what Aomine meant, but before he could, Aomine strode away from him towards the entrance.

"We'll talk when you're in a better mood for something else. I'm gonna be here for the whole day, Tetsu, I want details as to why you're here in the first place. Gramps won't tell me everything." He said as he looked over his shoulder. His Panther eyes glinted cobalt blue, he waved his hand then snaked it down into his pants pocket, muttering something to the bodyguards standing outside and closing the door behind him.

Silently Kuroko walked over to the dining table and placed the bags on the wooden surface. The thin sheets of plastic made rustling noises when he opened them, taking a peek at the contents. Aomine brought him an assortment of breads and two large bags of cheese and barbecue potato chips, chocolate bars, and candies. He also bought a few bottles of Pocari Sweet, mineral water and Oolong tea in another bag.

Kuroko took the bottles and put them inside a mini fridge on the shelves nearby, there were already free bottles of mineral water near the tea sets and the electric kettle, but he wouldn't say no to an extra supply, just in case. Furihata might want some water when he woke up. He went back to the table and took out the foods, contemplated, and decided he'd just leave them on the table, tying up the unused plastic bags into small bundles for latter usage.

He glanced over at Furihata every once in a while, the boy was still sleeping.

Sighing, he picked up a sausage bread and turned it around in his hand. Even though he hadn't eaten for a while, Kuroko didn't have much of an appetite. He checked the smaller bag containing the medicine — he spotted some vitamin bottles inside. He didn't remember the doctor mentioning anything about them. But he put it aside with the rest of them, Furihata might need it. He took two meat breads with him — sausage and ham — and a bottle of mineral water, and returned to his seat by the bed. He started nibbling at the bread as he watched over Furihata.

A moment later, the nurse and the doctor came to check in. Kuroko moved out of the way, his bread half-finished, the other still uneaten and wrapped in its package on the bedside table. The doctor noted the progress and told the nurse to insert a dose of vitamins into the drip with a syringe. The yellowish orange substance mixed with the clear fluid within the tube, swimming into Furihata's veins.

"The bruise on his eye looks better now," The doctor mentioned as he inspected the brunette's sleeping face closely. "He has you to thank for that?"

He felt a tiny bit of joy jumping up from within him, Kuroko smiled thinly, hands clutching a nearly empty bottle.

"His vitals are steady, he should wake up soon. Make sure he eats his meals and take his medicine." The doctor relayed to him, Kuroko felt relieved to hear the news. He told the doctor that he would do exactly as told, then the doctor and the nurse left the room. They would be returning in a few hours for another visit.

Kuroko was feeling better now, he finished the rest of his bread and went to get his bag, remembering he stashed some books inside his duffel bag. While he waited for Furihata, he decided to pass some time by reading. Fingering the book, he wondered if there was a library in the hospital. He heard hospitals with children and maternity wards usually had playrooms with books to entertain the younger patients. Maybe he could ask Aomine later about it, and borrow some for Furihata, Kuroko could read the book for him if the brunette was too tired to move.

As fellow members of the library committee, Kuroko was sure Furihata would appreciate some reading to shed the boredom later on. Kuroko smiled to himself, taking three books with him — fiction novels — and stacking them on the bedside table. He started reading the first book, a horror thriller.

One hour later, Furihata woke up.

He groaned and stirred, face twisted in pain, eyebrows furrowed deeply. Ever so slowly, the brunette open his eyes — one eye never managed to open completely — half-lidded and glazed, disoriented. He flinched, bringing a hand over his bruised eye. Kuroko immediately stood and grabbed his hand, catching it in mid-air.

"Please don't touch it. You'll make it worse." He told Furihata quickly.

Furihata blinked, eyes narrowed and brow's scrunched, as if his vision was unclear. "Ku — Kuroko? I'm — oow — where am I…?" He brought a hand to his head, groaning in pain.

"You're in a hospital." Kuroko didn't exactly know how to call this place. "You passed out, Furihata-kun. Don't you remember? You hit your head, you may be feeling confused right now."

Furihata looked disoriented, his gaze was unfocused, bewildered. He looked at the cast on his arm and the bandages wrapped all over his body. He winced when he tried to get up, Kuroko went to assist him. He clutched a hand over his stomach and grimaced. Furihata looked around, taking in the sight of the hospital's VVIP room. Furihata frowned, and face twisted in deep thought, presumably attempting to recall where he was.

"I don't really — wait, I remember! On the way to morning practice, there were these… suspicious guys. We were forced into the car by this creepy snake dude and then… there's this hospital in the middle of nowhere." His eyes darted upwards towards the ceilings, a look of realization dawned on him. "Wait — this is the hospital, right?" He turned, only to see Kuroko nodding.

"We're still here." He muttered and sighed, expression darkened. "And then… hmmm.  _Ooow_ , my whole body hurts." He said, rubbing his aching shoulders, miserable.

Kuroko offered for him to lie down again, pressing some buttons on a remote to move the top part of the bed, like a reclining chair. It was far more comfortable than to have to sit on his own. Furihata thanked Kuroko, his back lay on the mattress, his posture loosening up. As soon as he relaxed, he snapped his eyes open with a belated realization, pushing himself off the bed with a sudden jerk, immediately letting out a loud yelp in result. His face twisted and temples broke in cold sweat.

"Furihata-kun! You shouldn't move so much!" Kuroko gently grabbed his shoulder to push him down again. Furihata tugged at his arm brusquely, expression horrified, eyes widened.

"Kuroko! That asshole didn't do anything to you, did he!?" His brown eyes were full of terror, face blanched white. His body shook like an earthquake, agitated. The hold was feverish, as if burning a brand on Kuroko's arm.

"Please tell me — tell me nothing happened! No, don't tell me that he'd — ! I can't live with myself if I let you — if I let you get — " He couldn't seem to form his next words, too horrified to say it outright.

"Nothing happened, Furihata-kun. I'm alright." Kuroko quickly said, fearing Furihata's condition would get worse with so much agitation in his system. "Aomine-kun came to help me, because you told him where I was."

It took a few seconds for Furihata to start calming down.

"Nothing happened…  _thank god_. " He loosened his grip, slumping down into the bed a little roughly, his skin slicked with a thin coat of sweat, but he didn't seem to care.

"I thought for sure that I was too late — I thought the worst things happened, and I — I just kept thinking I wouldn't ever be able to forgive myself for that, and — and — " His brown eyes glazed, tears welled up and overflowed, streaming down his discolored cheeks. He flushed and brought his healthy arm to cover his eyes, his throat visibly constricted as sobs spilled out of his mouth.

"Sorry, I don't know why I just — " He sniffled nasally, rubbing the tears off of his face too quickly. He yelped and grimaced when he accidentally touched his bruised eye. Furihata grinned, a little bit shaky, streaks of dried tears crusted at the corners of his eyes. "I'm just so, so glad nothing happened to you… I'm so glad, Kuroko."

Kuroko felt his chest clench, aching. His mind flared with images of Furihata's dog form, small and weak in his arms, still warm, yet the blood on his fur was cold against his fingers. The faint breathes. The strong, iron scent still made Kuroko's skin prickle with goose bumps. A memory he didn't want to recall, ever again.

"Thank you, Furihata-kun… I'm really sorry, that this happened to you." He said, his breath caught in thick, hardened lumps in the back of his throat.

Furihata grinned at him, happy. His complexion burst with radiance, no longer sickly pale. "Don't worry about it! I don't look like it, but I'm pretty tough. I'll be okay, uh, maybe after I sleep or something!"

Kuroko forced a smile, one that succeeded to fool Furihata in the midst of his relief.

He called the nurse's office by the alarm button near the bedpost, to inform them of Furihata's condition. A few nurses and the doctor came by around ten minutes later, with a meal cart, to check up on him. Kuroko stepped back and let the nurses do their work, checking his temperature, changing his drips and asking him medical questions. Meanwhile, a nurse offered him an extra meal especially for Kuroko, courtesy of Aomine. Kuroko remembered Aomine wanted to talk to him, and with Furihata fully conscious now and well guarded, he contemplated whether he should look for his ex-teammate soon.

It looked like Furihata would be occupied for quite some time, so Kuroko told him he would be out for a bit to look for Aomine. Furihata nodded in confirmation, before becoming distracted with more questions asked by the doctor. Kuroko didn't know where to start looking in such a large place, so he tentatively asked one of the three bodyguards standing by the door outside. They were intimidating and quiet, but they answered the question politely, giving him directions.

When he left, one of them followed. Kuroko wondered if Aomine had ordered them to do that, too.

—

Kuroko entered a large lounge area, just one floor below where Furihata's room was. It was designed in western style, with high ceilings, rows of sofas and coffee tables arranged neatly in groups along the hall. A set of high windows stretched out like an additional wall on one side of the room, overlooking the forest, garden and the playground outside. There were long tables displaying pastries, breads and sugary cakes, plated delicately on multiple tiers of porcelain dishes. Pots of freshly brewed coffee and tea, a cappuccino maker, water dispenser and empty cups were put on display as well, presumably for the guests of the lounge.

Kuroko had actually been asked for his credit card at the front desk near the entrance. He was confused and flustered, the bodyguard who was following him quickly stepped in and spoke with the receptionist, who allowed him free access soon after that. To think the crude, unrefined Aomine came from a prominent family who owned all of this. It was much more than Kuroko had ever expected of his ex-teammate.

"You're done babysitting?" Aomine was sitting on a sofa, looking over his shoulder and waving to him.

"Please don't say that, Aomine-kun, it's rude. And yes, Furihata has finally woken up. He is seeing the doctor right now." He said, as he gingerly sat on a couch across from Aomine's seat. The bodyguard stayed away from them, out of their line of hearing, still watching.

He looked down and saw a half drunken cup of coffee and a few empty pastry dishes. Aomine was holding one of his favorite idol's photo books, now lying on his lap, opened. He wondered if Aomine had been napping and reading those books whilst waiting for Kuroko.

Aomine threw the book on the empty space next to him, shifting his body forward, back no longer reclining. "So, spill. I need to know why you're here, and why that shorty's with you. Don't leave the details."

As eloquent as always. Kuroko shifted comfortably in his seat. "Of course, Aomine-kun."

He told Aomine, from the very start of the story. He started from his childhood, when he discovered he wasn't a Primate, after an accident during his sixth year of life. His grandmother who desperately tried to hide him away from the society. Kuroko then told him of his Stunted Heat condition and Kagami's offer to help him, as his heat mate. About Kise and his favor with the parasite, the decoy that had worked so well it had catapulted the spotlight onto Kuroko, effectively undoing everything his grandmother had worked so hard for.

He mentioned Kagami's efforts to help him, as they spent the Heat Week together in his family's summerhouse, although he refrained from going into details. They went back to Tokyo after Heat Week, and everything had been going normally, until he was ambushed on his way to morning practice, Furihata refusing to leave him and tagged along. And of the disturbing man, Kirishima, who had antagonized both Kuroko and Furihata.

"Oh, he won't be a problem anymore. He was let go just a few hours ago, with the other two who attacked your teammate." Aomine had told him easily, when Kuroko told him of Kirishima's abrasive behavior.

"I called my uncle, the Vice President, told him he assaulted you. He got kicked out, of course. If words get out that our staff physically assaulted an Endangered Species — even worse, sexual assault — we'll go up in smoke faster than that crooked snake gets off. We have kids and expecting mothers staying here, they won't forgive that kind of shit scandal. Never mind that he's a half Heavy Seed." He snorted, crossed legs dangling up and down and fingers tapping the spine of the couch.

"He's a half Heavy Seed?" Kuroko blinked, surprised. Half Heavy Seed was a product of a Heavy Seed who mated with a Middle Seed, they were treated as a full Heavy Seed in Japan. In other countries, a half Heavy Seed might be treated as a Middle Seed.

"From a common breed, not too important. Never liked the guy, too fucking shady for my taste. Can't believe he's stupid enough to make a move on an Endangered Species though. Makes a idiotic bodyguard, he got away too easy if you ask me — but we gotta keep up with our reputation." Aomine growled low, a grin tugged the corners of his lips.

"You don't have to worry anymore, Tetsu."

Kuroko was relieved that he wouldn't need to meet the man, but concern still nudged him at the back of his mind, persistently.

"He told me some things, Aomine-kun — he said the Director was let go from his position today and that I am not allowed to leave this place. Is that true?" He asked, wary. Something told him the Weresnake hadn't lied about that part of his deranged speech.

Aomine's expression changed. His grin fell and face hardened.

"… yeah, that's true. I'm sorry Tetsu, that's what I was going to tell you earlier." He said.

"Gramp's not here. He's on house arrest — uncle's been vying for his job for years now, he was furious when he learned Gramps was letting go an invaluable species. You. I suspect someone leaked the info to him. He reached out to the Board of Directors and pressed them to issue a forced discharge against Gramps." He looked at Kuroko, apologetic.

Kuroko tightened his jaw — somehow he knew he wasn't getting away from this place so easily.

"If it were up to me, I'd get you out today. But my position here's not strong enough to defy my uncle without Gramp's help. I'll need some time, if you want me to get you out — maybe convince uncle to cut you some slack. You're not an orphan, you shouldn't have to be kept here without your family's consent. Plus, you're underage." Aomine said.

"How long?" Kuroko found himself asking. "How long must I stay here?"

Aomine took a long inhale, looking uncertain. "Honestly? I have no idea, Tetsu. My uncle — he's a stubborn, hardheaded traditionalist. He's a little crazy when it comes to preserving the rare breeds. It's his job, sure. He got a lot riding on this, lots of expectations from the society and the government. He can be extreme — even I don't get what he's thinking, sometimes."

"Aomine-kun, I heard bad rumors about the organization — from Kise-kun, especially. He heard that they would attempt to separate lovers and have been harassing Kise-kun with aggressive mating offers. That's why he was so reckless and desperate when he was trying to obtain the parasite. He even went so far as to attempt conceiving a child so the organization would have no say in his relationship with his mate. This has been bothering me, Aomine-kun, whether it is intentionally allowed."

Kuroko was angry that Kise had inadvertently caused this mess, but he had to admit he understood Kise's predicament as of now. Things … hadn't been pleasant. Just because they happened to be born as breeds deemed rarer than the rest, they were restricted into a set of rules meant to prioritize procreating their own kinds, watched under heavy surveillance and forced to live a life without freedom.

The taller boy's lips stiffened slightly, hands balled into fists.

"I know." He said, simply.

"Things haven't been going well, Tetsu. Japan loses more species every year, the birth rates aren't increasing, too. The organization and this institution are on the rocks. I think there are more fanatics and freaks in the ranks now. They'll do anything to increase the numbers of the Species — people like Kirishima." He cringed at the last sentence, his nose scrunched in disgust.

Kuroko fell quiet for a moment.

" … Aomine-kun, what you're saying is, that they will attempt to confine me here for as long as they could, by any means necessary. Is that correct?"

Aomine face hardened. He didn't deny Kuroko's drawn speculation.

"Sorry, Tetsu." Was all that he could say.

Kuroko sighed. He had expected this, he didn't feel he needed to act surprised. These people didn't intend to let him get away, possibly for the rest of his life, if they could help it — the thought unnerved him. Such a terrifying image. Kuroko chained by the collar, like a common animal — confined and trapped — never to be free, in a beautiful cage crafted in gold and jewels — but a cage, nonetheless.

He shuddered. How Kuroko wished Kagami were here. He had never missed Kagami so much before, needed him. He wanted to see Kagami so badly, he couldn't stand it. If only Kuroko could see his face, hear his voice and feel the warmth of his skin — everything would be much better. Everything would have been more bearable.

"Kagami-kun … Kagami-kun." Kuroko muttered under his breath, as if Kagami's name was a mantra for him to regain his nerves.

He wrapped his hands on his arms and hugged himself, closing his eyes, remembering how the redhead smiled, how his voice sounded. He recalled how Kuroko felt every time Kagami embraced him and whispered encouragements in his ears — as if everything would be all right. Everything would be fine. They would work through it together, like always. It helped. He felt a little better — forlorn and lonely, still. Imaginations paled in comparison with the real person. A cruel reality.

He opened his eyes, slowly, wishing he would see Kagami in front of him — but it was Aomine, who was looking at him instead. Kuroko's heart was torn with tinges of grief, a foreign coldness settled itself deep within, rendering him numb with its icy touch. Too cold. Everything was too cold without Kagami.

"Tetsu," Aomine called, he looked at him strangely. "This thing you have with Kagami, isn't it just a fling for the Heat Week?"

Kuroko felt himself stiffen, staring back at the taller boy. He found himself unable to answer that question.

What exactly was his relationship with Kagami? Was the redhead only a temporary Heat Mate for the Week, a partner to cure his condition? Who, somehow, through a fleeting promise, Kuroko decided to stay with for the moment? They were mates, at least that was what they called themselves in front of other people. They started dating, from what seemed to be something Kuroko merely went along with, instead of stopping to think how he felt for Kagami, to identify the meaning behind his feelings of affection and possessiveness for the redhead. And instead of asking how Kagami felt about them, and about Kuroko.

Before, he would have straightened the misunderstanding and told Aomine truthfully that they were just partners for the Heat Week. But now, he couldn't reply with an exact answer. It would've been a lie.

Aomine took his silence as the answer to his question — even if Kuroko didn't know how he took it — shrugging his shoulders and reclining his back casually, a sign to let go of the topic.

Kuroko looked down at his knees, fists balled. "Aomine-kun, could you do me a favor?"

The other boy raised an eyebrow. "What, Tetsu? Shoot."

"I'd like you to get Furihata-kun out, as soon as possible, and return him back to his home." Kuroko lifted his gaze and looked at the other boy in the eye. "Please do this for me, Aomine-kun. I know I can't leave this place for the moment. But at least — I don't want to involve Furihata-kun anymore. He's done so much for me, already."

Aomine's expression was unreadable, his back straightened and hands gripped his knees. Kuroko waited for his answer, hopeful. This way, Furihata wouldn't have to be hurt anymore, he wouldn't have to be involved in all of these complications. Kuroko didn't want to bear another painful experience, holding his friend's body, weak and wounded, in his arms — all because he had dragged Furihata into his personal problems.

"Give me two to three days." Aomine finally said. "I'll go talk to my uncle, try to convince him. Maybe I'll talk to Gramps too, see what he can pull off for you, Tetsu."

Kuroko nodded. It was enough that Aomine agreed to his request — at least he was certain Furihata would be let go much easier.

"Thank you, Aomine-kun. I appreciate it. Also…" He trailed off, gaze absent.

"If you … if you meet Kagami-kun, could you please tell him that I am alright? I don't want to worry him, too much." It was evening now, making it two days in a row without contact to the outside world. He wondered if Kagami thought of Kuroko. It was only two days, yet it had felt like more, weeks, even.

Aomine looked hesitant, even a little too impassive, when he answered. "Not sure if I'll come across him, but fine Tetsu. I'll tell Kagami, if I see him."

"Thank you." Kuroko said, feeling unreasonable jealously towards Aomine for being able to see the redhead in person. His freedom seemed so bright to Kuroko, radiant. He envied it. Then he stood, realizing the conversation had gone for a while. He was afraid to leave Furihata alone for too long, the brunette was still weak and needed care.

"Aomine-kun, I need to excuse myself. It's getting late, I have to go back to Furihata-kun's room. I think the doctor must have finished the checkup, already. I need to watch him; make sure he eats his meals and takes his medicines." He told Aomine. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, Tetsu. See you." Aomine waved to him.

When he left the lounge area, the bodyguard followed him again. Kuroko ignored him, he had to get used to strangers invading his privacy now. Honestly, it was exhausting and ridiculous. Kuroko had a feeling he would never get used to it.

—

Furihata's fever intensified during the night — he was groaning and tossing about, the wounds causing his body to overheat.

The painkillers only worked so well, before the pain started to kick in while he slept. Kuroko stayed awake most of the night, wiping off his sweat and squeezing a fresh wet towel to put it on his forehead every now and then. Kuroko tended to him until the fever waned around 04:05 A.M., and the brunette finally settled down into a deep slumber. Only then did Kuroko slip under the duvet of the guest bed and fall asleep, heavy-eyed and weary.

He woke up about five hours later, when nurses had left the room leaving behind breakfast cart and two big suitcases. There was a letter attached to one of them, Kuroko took it and opened the envelope. It was from the former Director, the suitcases contained clothes and essentials. In the letter, the Director apologized for not being able to help Kuroko at the moment. Kuroko had appreciated the offer, since he was running out of a change of clothes, he couldn't exactly go home and pick some up.

Furihata was still asleep, so he checked the suitcases first, finding them chock full of shirts and jeans, underwear, a shaving kit and toiletries. There were two identical sets, he assumed the Director had gotten the news that Furihata was staying in the hospital too, and had prepared his part of supplies. Kuroko was thankful that he didn't forget Furihata. The clothes' sizes were a little too big for Kuroko, but it wouldn't be much of a problem.

Furihata woke up later on. Kuroko went to set up the small, moveable table on the edge of the bed, sliding the white plastic platform closer to the brunette's reach and placing his portion of breakfast there. It was a hospital meal, Japanese style breakfast with rice and miso soup. Kuroko ate his at the round dining table, Furihata's right hand wasn't hurt so he ate fairly normally, chopsticks in hand.

"Kuroko, I have something I wanna tell you." Furihata said after he was done with his meal — the dishes were all eaten clean.

Kuroko picked up the plates and inserted them in the cart. "What is it, Furihata-kun?"

The brunette glanced at the door, causing Kuroko to follow his line of sight. It was closed, they didn't hear any sounds or nearby footsteps. They knew there were bodyguards standing outside. Furihata looked relieved, sighing.

"You remember when that Snake guy took our phones? You know, near the receptionist desk just before the elevator area?" Kuroko nodded.

"They haven't returned our phones — only our bags. Maybe… I suspect they may have done something with it, Furihata-kun."

They might have purposely thrown their phones away, so they wouldn't have the means to contact the outside world. Some phones had GPS installed in them, making them traceable. Even Kuroko didn't know exactly where they were, this private hospital was located in a fairly isolated area, somewhere in a rural region near the outskirts of Tokyo. That was all he could tell from the car ride.

Furihata's voice slipped into a whisper, only loud enough for the close distance between them. "Yeah, so I actually have two phones. They only took one from my bag. I hid the one in my pants' pocket — the old Nokia model I showed you in the car."

Kuroko stared blankly at the brunette, eyes wide. "I — just how did you do it? I didn't realize that, at all." Or maybe he had been too busy with the Weresnake bearing down on him, too distracted to notice what Furihata was doing.

The brunette grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I just remembered now. I guess I hit my head pretty hard. Anyway, when your phone rang, Kuroko, I kinda panicked. I saw this potted palm tree nearby, then a crazy idea came to me — like in the action movies y'know? When they got distracted by you, I took the chance and buried my phone in the soil."

Kuroko stared at the brunette, awed and impressed by his quick thinking. Furihata might have potential for misdirection.

"You gotta go get it, Kuroko! We have to tell our families about our situations. You wanna call Kagami too, don't you?"

Kuroko swallowed. Furihata had no idea how much this meant to him, to the both of them. He needed to call his mom, as well. And Kagami. He wanted to hear the redhead's voice so badly. "Yes. Very much so, Furihata-kun."

Furihata smiled, his expression was tired and pained with injuries, but there was light in it. A hopeful determination for a better situation. "I have the charger in my bag — it's still there last time I checked. We can charge it if it runs out of battery. I really hope they don't water the pot too often, though! You should take it before they notice something's there, Kuroko."

Kuroko felt reluctant. "But Furihata-kun, I can't leave you alone."

"I'll be fine. Aomine lent us his bodyguards, right? Nothing's gonna happen if you just go out for an hour or two, I'll just take a nap." Furihata cut him off, grinning reassuringly. He pounded his chest with his right fist, as if to show Kuroko he was doing okay. "Besides, I wanna hurry and call my bro. He'll freak out if I don't go home without telling mom and dad — he'll beat me up, never mind that I'm injured."

Kuroko chewed his lips, he wanted to get that phone as soon as possible too. "If you — if you're sure, Furihata-kun."

The brunette waved his hand casually. "Come on, Kuroko, go now. If they water the plant, that old thing's gonna break, y'know?"

With Furihata's persuasion, Kuroko relented. He gave Furihata the books he had for him to read while he waited, then left the room to get the phone with hope soaring from within him. The same bodyguard tailed him the moment he left, keeping a reasonable distance between them. Kuroko might have to use some sort of distraction if he wanted to get the phone without notice. He hadn't practiced his misdirection for a while — it would be good to brush up on his skills.

He went to the nearest nurses' station to ask the location of the library. Turns out his conjecture had been right — there was a library in the institution, because the patients of this hospital tended to stay for long periods of time. Kuroko pretended to have lost his way to the lobby where he had entered the first time, he remembered the name of the building — the center wing's ground floor — from a directional map displayed on the wall of the elevator area.

He got off the elevator, and spotted a familiar potted plant. Some of the palm tree's leaves appeared to be wilting, a sign that it wasn't taken care of too often — it looked like they had gotten lucky. Now he only needed a way to distract the bodyguard following him around, Kuroko couldn't trust him not to report to his superiors and blow their chances a second time.

As he was walking over towards the potted tree, mind occupied with varying strategies and methods, a loud voice broke his train of thought, snatching his attention. Someone was shouting by the entrance, a rather short black-haired man was yelling at a group of much taller, buffer men in black suits, standing in a row, blocking his path.

Kuroko's jaw dropped a bit, the shorter man was scolding four bodyguards as if he had no fear, yelling a string of colorful profanities and throwing death threats in their faces. Meanwhile the usually calm and expressionless bodyguards, were frantically trying to calm the shorter man, who wouldn't have any of it — it was a curiously outrageous scene.

Kuroko snapped out of his daze, noticing his own bodyguard was watching the scene with much interest. The distraction he needed. Kuroko quickly scooted closer to the potted plant, and glanced down. He saw something black and shiny, protruding out of the soil. He was sure it wasn't roots or branches. Immediately, he dropped his knees, dug his fingers in and retrieved the thing, then stood, slipping the item into his pants pocket. All in under half a minute.

He fingered the phone in his hand to confirm its identity, feeling the grains of soil covering the surface, dry. His bodyguard was still watching the scene, unaware. Kuroko smiled to himself, moved back to his previous position and watched the scene as well.

" — please, sir. Be mindful of your condition, it's not good to be so agitated with your — " One of the bodyguards tried to reason with him, the shorter man just snapped back at him, even more vicious.

"Motherfucker! You think just because you're all taller and bigger than me so you can force me to stay in this godforsaken place!?  _FUCK YOU_. I'm fucking leaving, and you can't tell me otherwise!"

With all his brave insults and energetic threats the shorter man was such a firecracker, despite being physically smaller than any of the bodyguards. Kuroko was impressed. Although, he felt the man sounded awfully familiar somehow. He had his back to Kuroko, so the latter couldn't identify his face.

"This hospital will provide everything for you and your unborn child, so please calm down and — "

"And who the fuck do you think  _you_  are, telling me what to do with  _my_  kid!? You think I'm gonna be happy around a bunch of kidnappers!? Fuck no! You delusional pieces of shit, get the fuck out of the way so I can go home!"

With all the commotion they made, even a bunch of nurses had approached them, scrambling to calm the raging man. "Please, madam. Calm down. You'll harm the baby — "

The man turned to the nurse, face red and horrified, he stepped away from the woman at once. Body stiffened into an awkward, shocked pose. " —  _Madam_!? You're calling me fucking  _Madam_!? — I swear, if I see that goddamn Kise again, I'll fucking murder him, this is all his fucking fault —"

Kuroko's ears perked at Kise's name.

He couldn't see his face clearly from a distance, but that voice and brash behavior — could it be? Kuroko broke into a small run, towards the source of the commotion that was still going on. The shorter man was wearing a long-sleeved sweater, but Kuroko could see the broadness of his shoulders and the shape of his physique. And that familiar loud yelling, he couldn't be mistaken.

"Kasamatsu Yukio-san? From Kaijō high?" He called out, a few steps away from the group.

The man whipped his head around towards Kuroko — he hadn't been wrong. Kasamatsu's eyes widened when he saw Kuroko, he seemed confused. "You! Seirin's Kuroko Tetsuya… what are you doing here!?" He exclaimed.

"It's a little complicated to explain at present location, I'm afraid." Kuroko didn't really know how to answer his question with so many people around them, some of which were looking at him with recognition.

He wondered himself what Kasamatsu was doing there — by how the conversation went, he could only speculate.

It seemed that Kasamatsu noticed something, gaze strayed around him and narrowed in suspicion. Then he stepped away from the bodyguards and the nurses, closer to Kuroko.

"Thank god. Someone I actually know who's not a criminal. I don't know why you're here, Kuroko Tetsuya, but I'd rather not be alone with these fuckers. They brought me here and now they won't let me leave the damn place. Why are you here?" He glanced over and snarled angrily at the bodyguards, fangs elongated a tad. His Shikoku dog form peeked out of him, radiated in a feverish contempt.

"It's better not to talk here, Kasamatsu-san." Kuroko said in a whisper.

Kasamatsu looked at him, nodding. "You're right. I'm sure as hell not gonna let some strangers butt into my business more than they already did."

"Would you like to go to my room? It's more quiet there." He offered.

Kasamatsu threw one last dirty look at the group of bodyguards who stood in a row, forming a wall that blocked the entrance.

"This isn't over yet. There's no way in hell I'm gonna be stuck here with you lot!" He spat to the floor, then turned on his heels to follow Kuroko. The latter wondered, in awe, how Kasamatsu was able to openly oppose those people, with no holds barred and no sign of reluctance.

Furihata had been expecting his return, but he didn't expect Kuroko would come back with another familiar face. The book he was reading fell off his grip and flopped close onto the duvet when he saw Kasamatsu Yukio entered the room, trailing behind Kuroko. The older boy glanced back at him, his expression hardened with surprise when he took in the sight of the bandaged up brunette. He looked at Kuroko, with a questioning look.

"It's a long story." Kuroko admitted, gesturing for Kasamatsu to sit on one of the seats at the dining table. "Please, have a seat. I'll get some drinks and snacks."

Kasamatsu did as told, still looked slightly uncomfortable, tossing concerned glances at the brunette as if wanting to say something. Kuroko went to brew hot water in the electronic kettle and took out the box of tea bags. It was English Breakfast Tea, from quite an expensive brand. He'd cleared and wiped the table after breakfast, so he didn't have to do it again. From the corner of his eye, Furihata tentatively climbed off the bed, moving slowly.

Kuroko left the tea preparation and rushed to the brunette's side. "Furihata-kun? You mustn't move so much! Please go back to bed."

Furihata pouted. "Kuroko, I'm okay. I took the painkillers, it doesn't hurt. I wanna greet the guest too. It's boring sitting on the bed all day, my back is sore." He grumbled, rubbing his back with one hand. Kuroko realized, it must indeed be boring for the brunette to stay immobile for hours, he must have bedsores too.

Kuroko gave in, he helped Furihata by the shoulder, towards the small dining table. Kasamatsu quickly stood up and assisted Furihata as well by his other shoulder, Furihata blushed and thanked him, Kuroko nodded in gratitude. Furihata sat on a seat next to Kasamatsu, Kuroko went to his guest bed, picked up one of the two pillows and slipped it behind the brunette's back, reminded of how Kagami had done it for him before.

"Thanks, Kuroko, Kasamatsu-san." Furihata had said. "Sorry, I don't look presentable right now."

"Please, don't worry about it. I'm sorry, I'm gonna be a bother." Kasamatsu said simply, bowing slightly to the both them. Kuroko thought the older boy was polite and properly calm, when one didn't get into his bad side.

"Make yourself at home." Kuroko went to finish preparing the tea and snacks.

He poured fresh hot water into three empty cups and dunked a tea bag in each of them. He served the cups of tea, with packets of sugar and cream, and a teaspoon on the sides, in case they wanted some. Then he sat, taking the last chair across the other two. Furihata put in one packet of sugar and one of cream, stirring the fluid with a spoon to mix them. Kasamatsu drank it straight, he blew on white steam before taking a sip.

They started the conversation lightly, Kasamatsu asked whether Furihata was all right, not being in the bed. The latter assured, awkwardly, that he was still sore, but mostly okay. The older boy looked like he wanted to ask what happened to Furihata, but seemed to hold back the question, not knowing how to start asking without sounding crude.

Kuroko wanted to ask why he was in this hospital as well. It was obvious Kise wasn't fond of the organization, it was unlikely that he would let his mate go into a territory controlled by them, and by the sound of the conversation he heard back in the lobby —

"Kasamatsu-san, about the commotion in the lobby — I happened to have overheard some of it, while I was walking by the area. I apologize, I didn't mean to pry." He started, slowly.

Kasamatsu made a noncommittal sound. "Don't be sorry. I wasn't exactly being quiet, I won't be surprised if the whole building heard me. I was pretty angry, and when I'm angry, I get loud." He sighed, deeply, placing the cup back onto its serving plate.

Furihata looked at Kuroko with a questioning glance, he told the brunette a brief summary of the scene he witnessed at the lobby — he didn't mention what he was doing in the area in front of Kasamatsu, a hand snaked down to palm the item in his pocket.

Kasamatsu was quiet for a while.

"Yesterday, I found out I'm pregnant. You already know that, you heard me yelling." Kuroko nodded. The older boy paused again, seemingly contemplating whether to tell them or not. He reached a silent decision when he spoke again. "Maybe you don't know yet, maybe you do. It's Kise, he's the father. We've been dating, for a while."

"Yes, Kise-kun did mention he has a mate. But he didn't tell me who, exactly." Although, Kuroko put two and two together, and he could guess. Kise was close to Kasamatsu, he knew, finding the latter in the building only confirmed the conjecture. Kuroko nodded in understanding, while Furihata had an enlightened look on his face as he listened.

The ex-captain of Kaijō sighed, eyebrows furrowed with hard lines.

"Seriously, I don't want it to get out there. It was supposed to be a secret, after all he's not exactly — an ordinary guy. Technically, he's out of my league. I heard things about this organization that's been harassing him, and I didn't want to complicate the situation for him. Because he's dating me, I mean. I'm just — normal." He crossed his arms over his chest, face sullen, gaze absently staring at his cup. The furrow between his eyebrows deepened.

"Besides, I'm graduating this spring. I'm moving to Tokyo for university — I thought maybe, if we break up, he can go back to his normal life and date someone suitable for his lineage, then they'd stop harassing him. But then that damn Kise just had to slip that parasite in me without my knowing. Now the situation is even more complicated than it's supposed to be."

"Wait." Did Kuroko hear that right? "What do you mean,  _without your knowing_ , Kasamatsu-san?"

Kasamatsu's face twisted in irritation, but then he sighed long, rubbing the bridge of his nose, weary. "It's exactly what it sounds like. He got his hands on a parasite and slipped it in, while I was sleeping. It was during the Heat Week, we spent it together at his place. Kise only confessed after the Week was over. I kicked and punched him, then left, naturally. Of all the stupid things he could've done, he picked the worst possible option…"

Kuroko resisted the urge to face palm,  _hard_.

"I couldn't possibly leave it alone after that, so I went to the hospital, yesterday. Get myself checked with a Gynecologist, to make sure if I was — well, I certainly didn't expect the result would be positive, to be honest." His arms loosened up. A hand went to settle itself over his belly, rubbing a slow circle. Kuroko saw Kasamatsu's expression soften up considerably, gentle.

"Just as I was recovering from the shock, these sedans ambushed me on my way to school this morning — and those guys in black suits brought me here against my will. Told me they'd take care of my baby, and me, for free until I give birth. Ridiculous. I know they want to keep me around only if the kid is a wolf cub." He snorted and scowled, harshly.

"I demanded them to let me go back home, it went just as well as what you saw in the lobby. I was surprised to see you here, Kuroko, and Furihata, is it? And — " He looked over to Furihata, concerned. "Why is your teammate injured? And those bodyguards outside the room … " His gaze narrowed, straying towards the door warily.

Kuroko and Furihata exchanged looks.

"Well, we were brought here the same you were, Kasamatsu-san. Ambushed and abducted, and then… well, it's a long story." Furihata said, grimacing.

Kuroko nodded. "We've been here for three days, now."

"Three days!? Just what happened to you both?" Kasamatsu exclaimed, incredulous. The cup in front of him shook when he made a sudden move, hitting the table with a knee.

Maybe this was punishment for letting Kise trick them, Kuroko thought, he couldn't believe he actually fell for Kise's wolf in sheep's clothing act. Kuroko had thought he was better than that. He also felt guilty, having assisted Kise with the mission to impregnate his mate without Kasamatsu actually agreeing to it. The blonde had involved Kuroko and Kagami in a dubiously criminal act, such an absurd method he came up with.

"Kasamatsu-san. Furihata-kun. I have something to tell you." He said, decided to come clean with everything.

Kuroko confessed and told them about Kise's favor and the reason why they were all brought there in the first place. Kasamatsu's face grew darker and tenser as the story progressed, Furihata looked nervous for him instead of angry, like the older boy was.

He told of how they were ambushed and forcefully brought, with threats of violence, when Kuroko was almost assaulted and when Furihata was injured. By the time Kuroko finished his story, Kasamatsu looked grim and sullen, arms crossing over his chest menacingly. His dog true form had come out and hovered above him, radiating in silent rage, snarling.

"When I see Kise, he's dead." He declared, voice thick with fervent vexation. His eyes flared with fury. "I can't believe he even fooled his friends for his own selfishness, and caused this disaster. Intentionally or not, he can't get away with this."

Kuroko actually pitied the blonde a little bit. "Please don't kill him, Kasamatsu-san. I am also angry with him, but Kise is your child's father and he's my friend. I understand that in my case, it's completely unintentional — even though it ended disastrously."

Kasamatsu snorted. "At this point, I might as well raise the kid myself. Kise is too young and childish to be a dependable partner. I have my doubts. Instead of doing such stupid things, he could've discussed it with me — wanted to bind me to him, huh? He could've just said he didn't want to break up, properly, instead of knocking me up. This is absurd."

Kuroko felt exactly the same way.

"You want to keep the baby?" He asked.

The older boy stared at him, his gaze was strong and unfaltering. Hands moved down to caress his belly. "Yes, of course. Kise is an idiot, but this child isn't responsible for his mistakes. It still feels strange, that I'm pregnant, but I never thought of not keeping it. After all, this baby is mine, too, as much as it's Kise's." He said, as if it was the most natural decision, his voice didn't carry any hint of doubt or regret.

Kuroko was honestly amazed. Even though Kasamatsu was only two years older than Kuroko, he seemed so much more mature, almost too good for that idiot Kise, in Kuroko's personal opinion. "I apologize for my part in this, Kasamatsu-san, I had been told that you were informed and had agreed to it. I should've known better, Kise-kun can be quite reckless.." He apologized, guilt still pricking in his mind.

The older boy shook his head. "What's done is done. You've suffered enough because of his mistakes, even your friend got caught up in this. I think it's fair to say we're good. I guess both of us are trapped here, huh. Life is full of surprises, you and Kise, both Endangered Species. I'm sorry too, that you both have to suffer this. You've done what you could, under the circumstances."

Kuroko sighed in relief. He was pleasantly surprised to learn Kasamatsu was such a mature and understanding man, he wondered what he'd seen in a silly boy like Kise? "Thank you, Kasamatsu-san. I appreciate the concern." He sincerely said.

"Don't you think it's weird?" Furihata suddenly raised his voice, earning the other two's attention.

"I mean, first they kidnapped Kuroko. Then they kidnapped Kasamatsu-san when they know he's pregnant with Kise's baby. Don't you think this is abnormal? What they're doing is too extreme. They could've just — I dunno, asked permission or send formal letters offering assistance, or something? Offer to give assistance, instead of forcing you? This is clearly against the law, we're still underage! Kasamatsu-san's technically still a high school student, too."

"That hasn't escaped my notice, they completely disregard my opinion when I told them I want nothing to do with them. They didn't allow me to leave the vicinity, insisting for me to stay until I give birth. Stubborn bastards." Kasamatsu said, eyes furrowed and a hand cupped his jaw, thinking.

Kuroko thought of what Aomine told him. "I think… there is something wrong with the organization itself." He said.

"Aomine-kun told me. Recently, there seem to be more and more fanatics in the ranks of the organization. His uncle, the Vice President, has been pressured to deliver results by increasing the population of Endangered Species. I think it's odd in the first place, that they'd hire someone like Kirishima, the man who tried to assault me. If there's smoke, there's bound to be fire — I believe they want to force us here to stay. By any means necessary."

"Corruption in the system, huh. It's plausible. Damn, those bastards. I won't let them get to my kid." Kasamatsu fist slammed the table, the plates and cups rattled faintly on impact.

"Kasamatsu-san, do you have your phone?" Furihata asked, voice slipping into a whisper.

The older boy shook his head. "No, they took it, said they'll confiscate it until the time I leave."

"That's what happened to us too. They took our cellphones after we arrived, and haven't given them back to us." Kuroko told him.

Furihata's mouth formed an 'O', turning to his teammate. "That reminds me, did you get the thing, Kuroko?"

Kuroko nodded, fishing out the soiled phone from his pants pocket. The black Nokia was partially covered in dry soil. "It's still a bit dirty." He stood up and took some tissue from the cupboard nearby, wiping off the dirt and soil clinging to the phone. Then he handed it to the brunette, who took it quickly, inspecting it with one good hand, pushing buttons.

"Oh good, it's not broken. Uh, the battery's red though. Gotta charge it first." He said, sticking out his bottom lip. He grinned widely.

"At least we finally got it! I can't wait to call my mom — oh shit, there's like 20 missed calls and 30 texts messages! From my mom, dad and big bro, Fukuda, Coach — even Akashi!? Aaahh, the phone is dying! I can't reply to any of them now!" He exclaimed in loud whisper, horrified.

"Akashi? You mean Akashi-kun?" Kuroko raised his eyebrows.

"Uh yeah, we're kind of pen pals, I guess? I text him every now and then for Basketball advice. He's really good at explaining stuff." Furihata answered easily. He didn't act like it had a special meaning to him. "I get intimidated at times, but we get along as friends. He's nice, when um, he's not slipping into that emperor mode thing."

"Aah. I see." That was unexpected. He wondered just how did Furihata and Akashi become friends? They seemed very different. Polar opposites.

"We should charge it now. It's in my bag —  _ooww_!" Furihata yelped when he stood up too fast, his back bent and head ducked, grimacing in pain.

Kuroko quickly stood and pushed down the brunette's gently by the shoulder. "I'll get it, Furihata-kun. Do sit down and don't move around too much." He said sternly, Furihata pouted but didn't argue.

Kasamatsu took care of Furihata while Kuroko went to get the charger, phone in his possession now. He rummaged inside of the bag and found the charger quite quickly, there were two of them, and so he had to match the port before he could see which one suited the old model. Once he knew, he plugged it into an electric socket at a considerably hidden area, and put the phone where it wasn't obvious in plain sight. He purposely covered the spot with miscellaneous things, subtly. He couldn't be too careful.

At some point later, Kasamatsu stayed with them, until the doctor and nurses came by to check up on Furihata. The doctor had scolded the brunette for being out of bed — which made Furihata go back to his bed with great reluctance. The nurse recognized Kasamatsu and offered the unoccupied room next to theirs for him to stay in, seeing as they didn't intend to let him go just yet and Kasamatsu seeming much more comfortable with Kuroko and Furihata's company.

Kasamatsu had eyed the nurse suspiciously, clearly didn't like the idea of being kept for another day in the hospital, but he did need someplace to sleep during his stay. Of course, the hospital paid for the room. Kasamatsu preferred to be with familiar people, he didn't go to his new room and stayed in theirs for most of the time, until late, when he decided to turn in, biding them good night. Furihata and Kuroko were just happy to spend time with someone they knew had no ulterior motive. An ally.

—

It was around 11 P.M., Furihata was already asleep, and Kuroko was preparing to turn in, when a bodyguard entered the room to inform him that Aomine had come to visit. Kuroko had thought it was strange for Aomine to visit so late at night, but he didn't reject the invitation — perhaps Aomine had some news for him. Kuroko was a little hopeful. He changed clothes from pajamas back to shirt and jeans, then went out of the room, soundlessly, careful not to wake up Furihata.

Instead of the previous lounge area, Kuroko was led to another room, farther away this time. It was quite late, so the hospital was dark and quiet, it gave off an eerie impression. The temperature of the weather was lower as well, compared to the day. They finally arrived, around ten minutes later. The bodyguard stood by the door as he opened it for him, ushering Kuroko in. For some reason, Kuroko felt reluctant, suspicious. His gaze peeked the inside of the room, catching a familiar head of dark blue behind a sofa. He heaved a sigh of relief.

"Good evening, Aomine-kun." He greeted politely, the door behind him closing. The room looked like a normal private bedroom, he wondered if it was for the executive staff of the hospital?

"Hey, Tetsu." Aomine replied, looking somewhat tired. He gestured for Kuroko to take a seat on the couch he was currently sitting on, and the latter did, taking the empty spot next to Aomine.

Kuroko looked over at his ex-teammate, who was now staring at him, a strange expression written on his features. He was being eerily silent for some reason.

"Aomine-kun? It's late, I'd like to know what is it that you want to tell me." He paused. Aomine looked stressed, anxious. His dark complexion seemed a little paler. "Aomine-kun, are you alright?" He brought a hand to touch the other boy's forehead, checking the temperature.

Aomine flinched at the touch, but didn't move back. He was a bit warm, and didn't look well. "You don't look well. You should rest, Aomine-kun, we can talk tomorrow morning if you want?" Kuroko offered, gently, withdrawing his hand.

The other boy caught his wrist, abruptly, Kuroko blinked, taken aback.

"I talked to uncle today, about freeing you and your friend." Aomine uttered, voice deep and low, his gaze locked on Kuroko and hardened. The grip on his hand was tight.

"Of course, he's a stubborn old man. He refused my request. I persisted, and he relented after a while. He'll let go of your friend, easy. But he still won't let you go, no matter what, unless … " He trailed off, as if he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Kuroko tilted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowed. "Unless what, Aomine-kun?"

Aomine inhaled sharply, deeply. Kuroko saw something foreboding flashing within those dark blue eyes, a familiar sort of glint. "Unless, I could find something to control you, to supervise you. So you won't stray from the organization, so you won't run away from us anymore." The grip tightened, almost painfully. Kuroko winced, feeling nails sharpening and nicking against his skin.

"Unless you become my mate, Tetsu."

Kuroko's blood froze.

The grip on his hand suddenly became foreign and cold. He reeled back, mind blank, eyes staring at Aomine in disbelief. He hadn't quite processed the information in his brain, or was he in denial? He wanted to refuse it, didn't want to understand, but it computed faster than he wanted it to. The words sank into his mind like poison, unwanted, corrupting. He staggered backwards, tugging the grip in response. His whole body was alert, his instincts flaring.

He could think of nothing but Kagami. Always, behind his eyelids, every time he closed them.

"You said no, didn't you?" Kuroko managed to say, voice a little weak.

Aomine didn't reply to him. He stayed quiet. Kuroko didn't want him to stay quiet.

"Aomine-kun, you refused it, didn't you?" He pressed, his voice stronger now, almost demanding.

But the other boy kept his infuriating silence. Kuroko shook his head, a little harshly, lowering his gaze. In his head, he was looking at Kagami, not Aomine. He called out to him, silently, like a mantra.

"No. NO!" He exclaimed, nearly yelling. He shook his head more, tugging his wrist brusquely, trying to get away. He clenched his jaw, fangs elongated and bared. Panic rose up from within, clouding his mind. "Please let go! I am Kagami-kun's mate! I'm Kagami-kun's —"

" _Don't you realize how I feel about you!?_ " Aomine barked loudly, his body leaned forward, finally releasing his wrist.

Kuroko backed away until his upper body lay flush against the couch. Aomine placed his arms on either side of Kuroko, trapping him. His face was close, twisting in fury, and something akin to grief. Kuroko could see the hard lines formed on his visage, making Aomine look intimidating.

"Isn't this thing with Kagami just a  _fling_  until your condition's cured!? He's only known you for a year, Tetsu! I've been waiting for years!"

Kuroko glared at him, attempting to push him away. But to no avail, his normal strength was too feeble. "Let me go! I don't want this, Aomine-kun!"

"Can't you see that Kagami's not good enough for you!? He couldn't even save you when that Kirishima bastard tried to assault you!" Aomine's irises enlarged, pupils turned into vertical slits, claws out. He looked angry, desperate.

Kuroko didn't want to know. He didn't want to understand nor sympathize.

He felt if he listened, he would grow angrier and angrier, more uncontrollable. His instincts were blaring in his ears, his blood bubbling to a boil. The beast in him howled, enraged. This man had breached our territory, it barked out, violent. He disturbed our peace, he wanted to get rid of our mate. Unforgivable. The tantalizing offer was there, nudging at him in the back of his mind, telling him to let go of the beast. Unleash it upon this man that breached their territory, just like that Weresnake, they'd destroy him.

It took all Kuroko had to hold back, Aomine was still his friend, however misguided. His eyes burst in searing heat, glaring at the man in front of him, his claws trailed large tears on the surface of the couch, its contents spilling out of the gaps.

"Let me go." He growled, voice hoarse and deep, threatening. His own scent burned as if scorched, not of seduction but of menace, proprietorial. "If you do more than this, I'll be forced to use every ounce of what I have to stop you, Aomine-kun."

Aomine visibly flinched.

Slowly, he retreated. Kuroko quickly got up, sitting a little farther from Aomine. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, cooling down the heated adrenaline rush within him, heart still pounding in his ears. His claws retracted, fangs withdrawn. There was white mess around him, the stuffing of the couch spilling out of the rips he made.

"I'm sorry, Tetsu." He heard Aomine say. Kuroko turned his head to look at the other boy. He wasn't looking at Kuroko, but at his own hands, fingers tangled over his knees, his back bent and head ducked. "I didn't mean to go so far — I didn't mean to do this at all, shit!" He brought a hand up to brush through short indigo hair.

Kuroko's lips stiffened, his hand still rubbing the wrist. The area was slightly red. " … it's alright, Aomine-kun. But please, don't do that again."

Aomine was silent, for a while.

" … you never noticed my feelings, did you?"

Kuroko looked at him. "No. I did not." He admitted, he had never been one to be sensitive with such things. Too obsessed with Basketball, to pay attention to romance. "I thought you loved Momoi-san, Aomine-kun."

"I do. But I love you too, Tetsu. Just as much as I love Satsuki." Aomine confessed. Kuroko was reminded of how this sort of thing was not uncommon for Werepeople, to have multiple partners, multiple mates, should they wish for it.

But that wasn't what Kuroko wanted.

"This thing with Kagami. Are you two serious?" He asked, turning. Cobalt blue eyes stared into his own.

Kuroko looked down, his hands lowered in his lap. The question stung him, somehow. Like a needle, thin and long, piercing through his heart. "I don't know." He said, honest. It was the truth. He gritted his teeth. "But I — I don't want anyone else."

He couldn't see the look on Aomine's face, but he could hear his voice, strained with disbelief, when he spoke again. "You're not in a serious relationship. But you don't want anyone else, who's not Kagami?"

Kuroko smiled bitterly, he knew how absurd this sounded, to feel so much for someone who'd promised nothing to him. Yet he couldn't stop himself. "Yes, Aomine-kun. That is correct."

Such a terrifying thing.

Both of them fell silent. Seconds passed, and the silence was awkward, but not unpleasant. It was cold, the chilly night air brushed against his skin, despite the heater blasting in the room. Aomine raised his voice again, and Kuroko was petrified by his next words, snatching his gaze away.

"Tetsu, do you love Kagami?"

Kuroko's breath caught in his throat.

"Yes." He breathed, it was strange that he didn't feel even a slight hesitation when he admitted it. On contrary, it felt liberating, as if a weight had fallen off of his shoulders. "Yes, I do. I — I love Kagami-kun." Such strange words, such feelings were foreign to him, yet it felt right.

"Is that so." Aomine's face was set in stone, slipping into a dark shadow. Kuroko watched as he buried his face into his hands, until Kuroko couldn't see his face anymore. "Sorry, Tetsu, could you leave me alone? I'll — I'll talk to you again in the morning." His voice sounded forced, straining.

Kuroko didn't know what to say. He couldn't return Aomine's feelings for him — not when his own were already Kagami's. Aomine had been nothing more than his friend, he'd never seen him as something more and he didn't feel that he could start now. So all he could do was stand up, and leave the room, as he was asked to. It was far more merciful, this way.

"I'm sorry, Aomine-kun." He couldn't help but say. Aomine suddenly looked small in his eyes, vulnerable, he felt sadness stab through his chest "Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

Aomine only brought a hand up to wave, face still ducked, drowned in his other hand. Kuroko bowed, then walked towards the door. He looked over his shoulder at Aomine, before he left, the door behind him closing. As he strode down the halls, his own mind was in turbulence. Admitting his own feelings, made it feel like his heart was about to burst. A hurricane of emotions, swirling within him like a violent storm, pulling him with a brusque force, draining out his rationality.

When he returned, Furihata was still soundly asleep. Kuroko staggered into the darkened room, staring absently at the brunette. Then he moved, towards where he hid Furihata's cellphone. He cleared the area from the decoys he'd set up, fingers wrapping around the small, black phone, thumbing the surface. The screen flickered with an icon of the battery bar, currently charging, it wasn't full yet. Kuroko felt a stab of ache in his chest, a loneliness so deep it was trapped in his ribcage. This was the only thing that could connect him to the outside world.

He wanted to see Kagami. He wanted to hear his voice, so much.

Kuroko's fingers trembled faintly, as he pushed the buttons one by one, placing it close to his ear, pressing it so close, he could hear the beeping line blaring in his eardrums. He waited with bated breaths, the seconds ticking like droplets of eternity.

He heard a click from the other side. Kuroko was breathless. The familiar voice was like music to his ears, an exhausted groan, and a deep voice that sounded like honey.

_"Hello. Kagami Taiga, speaking."_

Kuroko almost choked when he spoke, heat rushing up into his eyes and gathering behind his eyelids, hot and wet.

"Kagami-kun…"

 _"…!? Kuroko!? Is that you!? Where are you right now!? I've been looking all over for you!"_  Kagami's voice escalated in panic, fear mingled with relief, and a thousand more minuscule emotions he couldn't decipher one by one.

Kuroko inhaled, stifling a sob, trying to calm his voice enough to form words coherently.

"Kagami-kun, I want to see you."

—

TBC.

—


	8. Attuned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, hello! Thank you for all the comments and supports as usual! :-D I remember that I said I predict this story won’t go for longer than 13 chapters, correct? Well, _it’s not gonna change_. **At most** , with extra Epilogue Chapter, **Beastly Call** will most likely end at Chapter 13 or 14. How do I know this? Let’s just say I’ve finished plotting the story, tho it’s not written down yet! :-}
> 
> Btw, I’ve been answering questions and chatting with a fellow fan in Tumblr, if you wanna chat/ask questions, you can go to secretly-devious.tumblr/com for my personal account (even if you don’t have a tumblr account, you can still use the ‘ask question’ feature).
> 
> UPDATED: Latest Chapter is edited and proofed by KC!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 8: Attuned

—

"Kagami-kun, I want to see you."

Kuroko had thought hearing his voice would be enough, but the more he heard Kagami's voice, the more he wanted to see him. This ache was excruciating.

He heard a deep inhale from the other side of the line, as if Kagami was trying to calm himself down. His tone of voice was slower, more controlled when he spoke again. _"Where are you? I'll be with you. You just have to tell me, and I'll be there. I promise."_

Kuroko inhaled sharply, choking back a sob. The thought of seeing Kagami again overwhelmed him, he couldn't help himself. His feelings were overflowing, pouring out like a flood. "I — I don't know where I am, exactly, it's — " He tried his best to describe the place, recalling what he'd seen and learnt.

" — it's some kind of a private hospital for - for expecting mothers and Endangered Species orphans. It's related to the Organization. The location … somewhere in rural region outside of Tokyo. It's a very secluded. I can see forests, surrounding the area."

" _The Organization!?_ " Kagami's voice took to a fast, brusque raise, snarls of fury slipping onto the line. " _They fucking took you, from me!? How dare they, those fuckers! When I'm there, I swear I will —_  "

"No!" Kuroko abruptly interrupted, a tear trickled down his cheek unintentionally. He breathed in and out, it took all he had to keep his voice from breaking out into sobs. "No, Kagami-kun, don't be reckless. I don't want you to get hurt, too. I can't stand it. It'll break my heart, if you're hurt. Please, don't be reckless."

The redhead fell quiet, although Kuroko could still hear his ragged breaths and the gruff in his words. He didn't reply for a moment, Kuroko waited with bated breaths.

" _They took you away from me. That's unforgivable. You're mine, Kuroko, and they — they hurt you. You're crying. I can't forgive that, either._ " Kagami's voice softened, traces of fury still lingering, deeply engraved into his tone.

 _"You can't imagine how frustrated I am right now. You've been missing for days. I didn't know where you were, or what happened to you. I couldn't protect you. Even now I can't come get you. I feel so powerless, like I'm a useless mate. Do you understand that?_ " He growled deeply, enraged but no longer aggressive. Kuroko understood that Kagami was doing his best to restrain himself, to not let his anger cloud his judgment.

"Yes, Kagami-kun, I understand." Kuroko said, softly. He was powerless too, when horrible things happened to Furihata, even though he had been there. What use was brute force, a rare breed or an impressive Seed level, if he couldn't protect those close to him? He couldn't even free himself from of this place — this prison. He was so frustrated with himself.

"But please, Kagami-kun, don't get hurt. Don't do anything reckless. Promise me." He pleaded. With his personality, Kagami could get hurt while being careless, and that was the last thing Kuroko wanted. Another guilt, another sort of pain.

He heard a deep sigh.

" _Alright, I promise. For you, I won't do anything rash._ " The redhead finally said. " _Kuroko, did something happen? Is Furihata with you? He's been missing for days, the same as you._ "

Kuroko's voice caught in his throat. The reminiscent hit him like solid concrete, cruel, still fresh in his mind. Small body, limp. Bloody. The smell of iron. Warm in his hold, but weak. He couldn't breathe. The guilt stabbed at him, it left a hollow wound, gaping mockingly.

"Furihata-kun is hurt. Because of … me." Kuroko choked, his voice slipped into faint sobs. He swallowed deeply, wiping the wetness on his face with the sleeve of his shirt. "Kagami-kun, I have to get him out of this place. He has to go home."

"  _…!? Are you alright!?_ " Kagami's tone escalated into that of panic.

Kuroko shook his head gently, as if the redhead could see it. "I'm alright, Kagami-kun. I'm unharmed." He gently said, assuringly.

Kagami went silent again.

" _I'll find you. I don't care how, but I'll find you. We'll be together again, I promise. And next time, nobody can take you away from me. I'll be with you whenever you need me, Kuroko, everything will be alright._ " Kagami told him, his voice was firm and comforting, entering his mind like harmonious music.

How curious. Merely hearing Kagami's encouragements for him, and it was as if Kuroko was whole again. The hole within him was filled in, but not quite full yet. He knew only the actual presence of Kagami would disintegrate the darkness completely. Kagami was his light. His one and only. He was the missing pieces of an incomplete picture within him, an image Kuroko could only hope would be a reflection of the both of them, together.

"I will wait for you, Kagami-kun. I believe in you, always." He uttered the words sincerely, the ice in his heart melted, warmed up by fragments of Kagami's presence. His voice had such an effect on him, such a simple, yet precious thing.

 _"Kuroko, I — " Kagami abruptly paused. "No, never mind. We'll talk more when we meet. I miss you, Kuroko. I want to see you, to touch you, kiss you. I want to hold you in my arms, and make love to you._ "

Kuroko flushed a deep crimson. He couldn't help himself, despite the situation he was in, to feel embarrassed yet delighted by Kagami's words. "I — I feel the same, Kagami-kun. I miss you, too."

" _Kuroko, I'll look into this hospital as soon as possible. I want to see you, as quickly as I can._ " Kagami said. " _I swear, they'll understand why they shouldn't mess with the mate of Kagami Taiga. You are mine, Kuroko. Nobody else can have you, only me._ "

I am yours. Kuroko closed his eyes, the words echoed into the depths of his mind. "Yes, Kagami-kun. I can't wait to see you."

" _Call me again later? If I take too long to get there, I wanna hear your voice, at least._ " Kagami said.

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you."

He was reluctant to end the call, as was Kagami, but they would much rather meet each other in the flesh. Kagami told him gentle encouragements, ones that made his heart flutter with warmth and solace, his chest was filled with unrestrained joy. The redhead also whispered things that made Kuroko blush again — indecent things — but he didn't mind. He loved hearing Kagami's voice.

Just speaking to Kagami, everything that worried him seemed to slip away. He felt normal, as if he wasn't held captive in a stranger's territory. Kagami was amazing, he had such power over him, always managing to make things better for Kuroko. When he ended the call, he was no longer crying. The grief and dark frustration was staying at bay. Kuroko rubbed his eyes, feeling they'd puffed up slightly, but no longer stinging with anguish. The tears dried up, leaving a slight stickiness behind.

He gently plugged the phone into the charger again, carefully hiding it behind the decoys. When he was sure the phone had once again disappeared into the far side of the second tier of a seemingly ordinary towel rack, he rose up and took several steps backwards, checking whether it was perfectly concealed.

"Kuroko, are you done calling Kagami…?"

Kuroko turned around, taken aback, and saw Furihata was awake in his bed, looking up at him, heavy-eyed.

"Furihata-kun, did you hear us?" He said, feeling slightly guilty to have woken up the brunette. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so loud and wake you up."

Furihata's hand reached for the remote on the bedside table, pushing a button to raise the top of the bed, so he could sit without moving too much. "Hmm, it's okay. I didn't mean to eavesdrop either." He answered, rubbing the slumber out of his eyes. "Besides, we do need to call someone ASAP. It's good that you called Kagami, Kuroko. At least if he knows, he'll tell other people about us."

Kuroko quietly sat on a chair by the bed. "I used your phone without permission, as well." His tone muted, head lowered. "I - I'm sorry."

The brunette looked at him, concerned. "What's wrong, Kuroko? You sounded very sad and you were … crying." Then he paused, a look of realization dawned on him. "Ah, yeah. I've worried you, haven't I? I didn't know you were so bothered about me being injured. I didn't think it was that bad, really."

Kuroko's gaze snapped up, staring at the brunette, disbelief mixed with mortification.

"What are you talking about, Furihata-kun? You're badly hurt and bedridden because of me. Because I dragged you here! Now you're trapped in this place, too. It's entirely my fault… I shouldn't have brought you here." Kuroko said, words flew out of his mouth too fast. A hand clutched at the front of his shirt, over his heart, and gripped tightly. His eyes pricked with warm wetness.

Furihata looked confused, his bandaged hand moved slightly to where Kuroko's other hand was gripping the edge of the bed. "Hey, hey! That's not true! I'm the one who insisted on coming along, wasn't I? You tried to tell me off, but I was stubborn. I wanted to come." He said, the hand patted Kuroko's, slowly.

"And I really don't regret it, either. I mean, I couldn't let you be alone with that Snake guy, all the way. I don't wanna imagine what would happen, seriously. That freak almost got you, I still can't get over the memories of that, to be honest. It still scares me.  _He_  still scares me." Furihata shuddered, his eyebrows furrowed with the awful reminiscent.

"But Kuroko, I'm glad I went with you. I'm glad that I could be of some help. You and Kagami always save us, right? You two believe in our team and work hard for us, because of you both, we won the Winter Cup. I thought it's only right to do the same — I want to help you when you need me - when you need us. I have no regrets. So don't feel bad about what happened, I was kinda prepared for it."

Kuroko stared at him. "This and that are quite different, Furihata-kun…"

"Yeah well. I'm not that smart, so it's similar enough to me!" The brunette grinned widely, his eyes forming slits. He looked so energetic despite his condition, Kuroko couldn't help but smile. He appreciated Furihata's attempt to cheer him up.

"Oh good, you finally smiled." Furihata said, gaze warm. "You've been looking so down lately. It's depressing being kept inside all the time, right? And you gotta watch and take care of me and all that, I'm sorry. I guess calling Kagami takes away a lot of the bad feelings, huh? Good for you, Kuroko."

Kuroko blushed a bit. "I think so. I'm feeling better now."

Furihata smiled. He brought his healthy hand up and waved it to Kuroko, who looked at it, not quite understanding. Then the brunette scooted a little to the other side, leaving an empty spot near the edge of the bed. He patted his hand on the empty area, gesturing for the other boy to lay his head there — at least that was what Kuroko interpreted it as. Bewildered but curious, Kuroko nodded and leaned down, he laid his head on the side of the bed. Since the mattress was raised high enough, it didn't feel awkward.

Then Furihata placed his hand over Kuroko's head, stroking slowly.

"My big bro used to do this when I was a kid. I used to get so scared whenever there was a thunderstorm outside, I'd sneak into my bro's room at night and sleep in his bed. He'd do this until I stopped crying. He's a huge jerk now, though." Furihata laughed softly, the leisurely strokes felt nice. It was relaxing. Kuroko felt a little jealous, as an only child, he didn't have siblings. Furihata's older brother must care a lot about him.

"It's okay, Kuroko, I'm sure everything will be fine. Kagami's gonna come and take you away from this place." He heard the brunette say, reassuringly.

"We'll take you with us too, Furihata-kun." Kuroko replied idly, but sincere.

He could hear the grin in his voice, when Furihata spoke again. "I look forward to when we all get back to Seirin! Ugh, Coach must be so mad at us for skipping so many practices. I can just imagine how much training she'll put me under when I recover … "

Kuroko laughed, he knew Coach Riko would indeed put him under as much torture as humanly possible when he returned to Seirin.

—

When Kuroko woke up the next morning, he realized he'd fallen asleep on Furihata's bed. His upper body lay on the bed, back bent, and his folded arms had acted like pillows. He looked over and found Furihata was still asleep, snoring with his mouth slightly parted. Kuroko rubbed his eyes and checked the clock by the bedside table. It was 8 A.M. in the morning. He hadn't slept well for a few days, he felt invigorated, although his back ached a bit from bending too long.

He left his seat, needing to go to the bathroom. After he was done, he went to brush his teeth and wash his face, he looked at his own reflection in the mirror. His bed hair remained epic apparently, no matter what sleeping position he was in. He went left the bathroom to grab some clothes from the wardrobe and change, by the time he was finished, the doctor and nurse came in for a morning checkup. He woke up Furihata for the routine, and whilst the doctor examined him, the cart of morning meals came in. Western breakfast today.

Furihata told him to eat first, so Kuroko did. He served Furihata's portion after the doctor left, having finished most of his meal himself. He read a book while Furihata was eating his meal, reading the supposedly humorous book aloud to entertain the brunette. Furihata claimed the way Kuroko read the jokes in monotone and a straight face, was funnier than the actual jokes, nearly spilling out soup from his nostrils due to laughing excessively.

Kasamatsu knocked their door a while later. He eyed the bodyguards warily before he entered the room, biding them good morning, which the other two happily returned. Kuroko stood up and pulled a chair from the dining table, dragging it next to his own by the bedside, for Kasamatsu to sit on.

"Thanks," Kasamatsu said, sinking down onto the chair Kuroko prepared for him.

"Your welcome, Kasamatsu-san. Have you eaten?" Kuroko asked.

"I did. They brought breakfast to my room." He peeked at what Furihata was eating, taking in the sight of bread, baked potatoes, sausages and cream soup, sighing in relief. "Oh good, you're not having fish. It's ridiculously atrocious for me lately, just smelling it makes me sick. Strange, I used to love grilled fish dishes and miso soup. Now I just can't stand them."

"It's probably because of your pregnancy, Kasamatsu-san. My mom used to say she couldn't eat fish and certain food when she was pregnant with me." Furihata said, chewing his baked potatoes, cheeks slightly stuffed.

Kasamatsu stilled in his seat, glancing towards the windows. The morning sunlight looked dim with the curtains drawn shut. Then he sighed, expression hardened. " … I guess I have to start learning about this, huh? I really have no idea how to deal with… this pregnancy. This is all still so new to me, I don't know where to start. I don't even know how I'm going to — to give birth. Safely." He grew quiet, thoughtful, his expression impassive.

Kuroko was taking out the snacks he had stocked up in the cupboard, bringing the large bags of chips with him to share with the other two. "Kasamatsu-san, there's a library around here, I'm sure they have books about your pregnancy there." He pointed out, taking a sit on his chair.

The older boy's face lit up, looking at Kuroko. Some of the doubts cleared. "You're right. I should check it out. This place has its uses, all right. … I'm still not staying here, though." He declared, frowning by the end of his sentence.

"Kasamatsu-san, have you told Kise-kun about this?" Kuroko had asked.

Kasamatsu had grown stiff in his seat. "No. I haven't. I was thinking whether to tell him or not, but I was taken here before I have the chance to tell Kise." He admitted.

"… it's a difficult decision to make. He's too young and still in his first year of high school. His future is bright. If he quits school just to take responsibility of this kid, I — I don't think it's wise. Maybe I shouldn't tell him. Maybe… I should try to raise the kid myself. That's what I thought. Honestly, I'm confused. I don't know… what to do." He confessed, growing quieter.

Kasamatsu looked conflicted, emotional turbulence apparent on his face. To deal with this unusual situation must have taken a toll on him, Kuroko thought, even if he didn't make it very obvious. Anyone in his position would feel confused, disoriented. At that moment, Kuroko realized Kagami and Furihata, as well as Aomine had supported him to some degree, through his own predicament. If he had to deal with things alone, Kuroko didn't think he would have lasted for so long. Surely, this would generally apply to any situation.

He understood, that being alone was a fearsome thing — a slow destruction that was certain to happen, if left unchecked.

"Kasamatsu-san, I think you should tell Kise-kun." When he uttered the words, the older boy and Furihata turned their attention to him.

"This is too important for you to hide it, Kasamatsu-san. I don't think it's wise or healthy to try dealing with this by yourself. I know I cannot say much because I have not been in your shoes, but you and your child need as much support from the people around you, as possible. It's difficult to deal with this sort of thing by yourself, even I understand that much. And I think Kise-kun may have, at very least, some inkling of what would happen when he decided to recklessly do what he did. He couldn't be that oblivious, even if it's Kise-kun." He reasoned.

"And — " Kuroko paused, trying find a better way to express what he wanted to say. " — and as far as whether he'd quit school or not, I think it's important for you two to have a discussion about this, about your future and your child. I've read stories about young couples, who strategize around their unplanned pregnancies — of course, it wouldn't be easy. But I think it's worth a shot, for you and Kise, and for your child's sake, too."

Kasamatsu stared at him, wide-eyed. Furihata stared as well and looked surprised, cheeks stuffed with forgotten food.

The older boy lowered his gaze, a hand went to his belly, tenderly caressing. "You… you make a good point." Kuroko heard Kasamatsu say, the latter looked enlightened. "If I really care for this child, and if I care for Kise … I should be thinking of what will be the best for all of us. I - I will consider it. I'll discuss this with Kise."

Kuroko nodded. "Kasamatsu-san, I may not be able to offer much, as I am still a student myself, but Kise-kun is my friend. If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Yeah, that's right! Kasamatsu-san, you need help! You can —  _cough, coughs_  — ! " Furihata sputtered when he tried to speak with his mouth full of food, spitting out bits and crumbs of potatoes and bread. Kuroko had to pat him on his back several times so he wouldn't choke on his food, it would be bad if it went down the wrong pipe.

Kasamatsu laughed. His expression softened. "Thank you, Furihata and Kuroko. I appreciate your concern."

Furihata and Kuroko exchanged looks, the former grinned and the latter smiled.

They chatted for a bit and shared snacks, until a bodyguard entered the room to inform Kuroko that Aomine was waiting for him in the lounge area. Kuroko went rigid, reminded of the scene last night, but he tried to shrug it off and told the bodyguard that he would go meet Aomine. He cleared Furihata's dishes and cleaned the table, excusing himself to the both of them. Just before he turned the knob of the door, he remembered that Furihata had wanted to contact his family.

Kuroko immediately went to take the phone from its hidden spot and gave it to the brunette, who accepted it and thanked him, the battery was fully charged now. Satisfied, Kuroko went out of the room to go meet Aomine, excusing himself once again before leaving.

As Kuroko walked down the halls, he recalled what happened the night before, of Aomine's unexpected confession. It would be a lie if he said it didn't bother him. He thought of Aomine as nothing more than a friend — and even though their friendship had broken a long time ago and it had just recovered recently, Kuroko did not wish for this to affect their relationship, in any way. If he could, he wanted to continue being friends with Aomine.

He entered the spacious, yet emptied lounge hall, the bodyguard who followed him stayed behind by the receptionist area. Aomine was waiting for him, the back of his head and shoulders were in plain view, seated on one of the many sofas. The morning sunlight lit up the entire room, the garden and the forest seemed to sparkle beneath the shower of light. Kuroko straightened his posture and strode closer, clearing his throat before speaking out.

"Good morning, Aomine-kun." He said, taking a seat on the single sofa across of his ex-teammate's seat. There was a half-eaten omelet and a cup of coffee lay on the table that separated them.

Aomine looked up at him, Kuroko detected the dark circles beneath the other boy's eyes, tinged with lethargy. "Tetsu. You're here." He breathed out, averting his gaze and scratching the back of his nape, awkwardly.

"Listen, I — I'm really sorry about - about last night. I didn't know what came over me. I shouldn't have forced you to — I was just — sorry, Tetsu." His speech broke incoherently at the end, seemingly unable to express himself well. Typical of Aomine, Kuroko thought.

"Aomine-kun, I know." He said, gently. "You didn't do anything in the end, so, it's alright. I forgive you."

Aomine turned and looked him in the eye, eyebrows furrowed.

"You're too nice, Tetsu." He said, tone low and dispirited.

"You could've just gotten angry and blamed me, kicked me or punched me, I'd have taken it and understood. Why do you care so much about me? Even back in Teikou, I said so many terrible things. And then I was nothing but horrible to you, but you — you never stopped caring about me. You never stopped forgiving. You make it so hard for me to - to forget about you."

Kuroko tilted his head and looked back at Aomine. He hadn't known Aomine had thought like that, the fact he was oblivious to Aomine's feelings for him in the first place — made him feel like he wasn't a decent enough friend. He didn't understand Aomine all that well, it would seem.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say, Aomine-kun. That I was angry at you, or that I hated you?" Kuroko thoughtfully uttered, wondering to himself. He was certainly hurt when Aomine had dismissed him, a long time ago on that rainy day, when he'd lost Aomine's faith in him. "It would be a lie if I say that I wasn't hurt by what you said and did, but… Aomine-kun, you were hurting too. You were crying."

The rain made it seem like there weren't tears, but Kuroko knew Aomine's heart was crying out in sorrow and frustration. Kuroko had been too young, too inexperienced, to be able to help his friend get over his problems. He didn't understand Aomine's feelings at the time. He remembered that much, at least.

"It's just that, Aomine-kun. I had wished that you'd once again enjoy Basketball. That you would smile and laugh like you used to. I — it hurt more, that you'd changed. That you were no longer happy, from the bottom of your heart. You changed into someone I didn't know, and it was painful, for me." Kuroko admitted.

The bitter victory. The cold, indifferent gazes of his teammates. The passionless games. It hurt more than all the hardships he suffered for Basketball. But it was a thing of the past. They were no longer cold and indifferent, no longer passionless — they had changed. They were friends again. The broken vessels had mended and connected, the pain erased and the grief vanished. Kuroko, Aomine and the rest of the Miracles changed for the better, and that was all that mattered to Kuroko. He knew, if he didn't have Kagami, none of this would have been possible.

Kuroko was eternally grateful to his mate. Kagami was truly amazing, Kuroko thought to himself, smiling.

"You were — you are my friend, Aomine-kun. I regret that I couldn't help you back then, when you were hurting. And for what it's worth, if you're bothered by your past behavior towards me, I think we're okay now. It's in the past, anyway. Although I cannot return your feelings for me, I hope we can still be friends." Kuroko sincerely said, looking at the other boy.

"Or… would you prefer not to have anything to do with me? I — I will try to respect that, if it makes you feel better. I will try to stay away." It would make Kuroko sad, greatly, that Aomine would not want to be friends with him anymore. But he thought, if it made his friend feel better about it, then maybe … maybe he could endure.

The look on Aomine's face was a mix of disbelief and incredulousness, staring at Kuroko as if he was an alien.

" _Seriously_ , you're way too fucking nice, Tetsu!" He broke into a half-smile, which escalated into a full-blown laughter. Kuroko watched Aomine, gaze blank and confused, as the taller boy laughed his ass off, not quite understood why he was laughing in the first place. He hadn't said anything funny, had he?

It lasted for a few seconds, until Aomine calmed down.

"Aah —  _god_ , I'm such a _pathetic loser_. Don't mind me, I was laughing at myself. Not you, Tetsu." Aomine said, after his laughter died down. He smiled bitterly, staring off into a distance. "I should've known. It's my own fault. I pushed you away and I threw our friendship into the trash. This is what I deserve — I lost you, fair and square. And now you're Kagami's mate, I've lost to that redheaded bastard again."

Aomine fell quiet.

"… you know, Satsuki scolded me last night, when I called and told her everything. She told me I did a horrible thing to you — trying to force you to be mine. You know what? Even though I honestly wanted to help you, I did intend to take advantage of the situation to do just that, so you'd be mine, Tetsu. I couldn't resist the temptation. I'm not much of a saint, but even I know that's going too far. After all I've done to you — I was just going to hurt you again. What was I thinking? I'm… I'm jealous of Kagami. He has everything — he has you. And I, well, I have nothing. Not anymore."

His smile fell, gaze strayed to his own lap, downcast and absent.

Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows, he didn't know how to best cheer up Aomine. But he didn't like to see him so down. "Aomine-kun, that's not true. You have Momoi-san. She'll never leave you."

Aomine chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I do. This time, I'm not losing anyone I love, anymore. If I screw up again, even Satsuki will leave me eventually. I can't have that." He shifted his gaze to look at Kuroko, giving him a genuine smile.

"And I'll be a damned fool if I refuse your offer, Tetsu. Of course we'll still be friends. You're the only one, beside Satsuki, who genuinely cares for me. I'm sorry about my past behavior, and I'm sorry for what I did last night."

Kuroko sighed deeply, relieved. "Of course, I'm happy to hear that, Aomine-kun."

"To compensate for all the mistakes I've made, for all the things I've done. I will do my best to help you, Tetsu, even if my influence here is limited." He declared, determination written in the depths of his dark blue eyes. "Satsuki is worried about you, I told her what happened. She'll also try her best to help, on her side."

Moisture drained from his throat, Kuroko felt his mouth dry. "But — but if I include Momoi-san into this situation — "

"You don't have to worry so much, Tetsu. Satsuki is a smart woman. She can take care of herself. She'll use her intellect to come up with something to help, without incriminating herself." He assured, a smirk rose to his lips. "I also told gramps about what uncle is doing now — the shady business he's involved in, it's getting out of hand."

Suddenly, Kuroko's line of thought diverted in a different direction.

"That reminds me, Aomine-kun. Did you know that they've taken Kasamatsu-san — Kise-kun's mate — here? Kasamatsu-san recently found out that he's pregnant with Kise-kun's baby, a day after he checked himself into a public hospital, he was brought here forcefully. He was prevented from leaving the vicinity when he attempted to. I found him arguing with the bodyguards just yesterday, near the entrance of the Centre building."

Aomine clenched his jaw, expression so hard and stiff, Kuroko thought it would crack.

"They did  _what_? Fuck. This is fucking bad. Not only you, but other people too? If words get out that we're kidnapping people — not only uncle, the scandal will ruin  _everything_. What the hell is uncle thinking, seriously!? I can't believe this! Does he want to kidnap more people? This hospital isn't meant for that!" He brought a hand through his hair, clucking his tongue exasperatedly and biting his lower lip. Frustration was apparent in the hard lines on his forehead.

Aomine's hand went to his pocket, fishing out a cellphone. He stood up from his seat, a little too quickly. " _Shit_  — sorry, Tetsu, I gotta make some calls. I'll talk to you again, later. Gramps must know about this." He said, voice firm and laced with alert.

Kuroko nodded, acknowledging the urgency of the situation. "Of course, Aomine-kun. I'll talk to you later."

Aomine rushed out of the lounge in a fearful hurry, phone pressed against his ear and mouth chattering away, his voice gradually disappearing into the background.

Left by himself, Kuroko wondered whether he should go back to his room, then he remembered the library the nurse mentioned. He was running out of reading material, it would be good to have more, besides, didn't Kasamatsu need some pregnancy-related references to learn from? He could ask if the hospital provided useful books about it. He nodded his head and confirmed his decision. Kuroko would go visit the library, today. He didn't exactly have anything else to do anyway, being stuck in this place. He could only wait for news, at the moment.

The location of the library was, if he remembered correctly, at the Centre Wing's third floor, near the nursery wards. It was already near 11 A.M., Kuroko thought, as he took a look at the clock hanging on the wall. He decided he should go now, so he could return to his room before lunchtime rolled in.

The bodyguard tailed him again as soon as he walked past the lounge's receptionist desk. It was really hard for Kuroko to misdirect trained professionals, as they kept their eyes on him at most of the time, ignoring most of everything else. For now, he must ignore them, and went on his way. The institution was quite large though, Kuroko would get lost if he hadn't remembered the way to the Centre Wing's first floor. From there, he thought, it would be easier to reach the library.

He arrived at the first floor, stopping by the front desk receptionist to ask for directions, just in case. He peeked at the entrance and found it was guarded by a group of bodyguards, like he saw yesterday. He wondered if he couldn't even step into the garden, it would become depressing and would be detrimental to his health, to stay inside the building for so long. He hadn't seen the sun directly, for a few days now. Kuroko didn't know how long he could stand being cooped up, like a caged animal, not allowed to step out and breathe in fresh air.

A nurse had kindly shown him a map of the hospital on a pamphlet, which he took with him, in case he needed it. If he had to be stuck here, he might as well start learning. If one wanted to defeat the enemy, one must learn from and observe them, as much as they could.

Kuroko thanked the nurse and settled for his next destination, when he heard loud noises coming from the entrance.

" — please, let me in! I heard my mate is hospitalized here! His name is Yukio, Kasamatsu Yukio! Do you know where he is!?"

Kuroko turned around so fast, he was surprised he hadn't tangled his limbs and fallen over. His jaw dropped when he saw a familiar head of golden hair — Kise was standing right outside of the gate of the hospital, apparently arguing with the bodyguards. The latter didn't seem to be too keen on letting random strangers enter the vicinity, they refused to let the blonde in, reciting something about permission and identification.

Kise visibly grew irritated, his appearance started transforming, becoming beastly. Fangs elongated and bared, golden eyes sharpened, claws flexed and spread. His limbs were shifting rapidly, his biceps grew muscular, straining the sleeves of his blazer. Kuroko had never seen the usually mild-tempered blonde, so angry before.

"I'm Kise Ryouta,  _goddammit_!  _Get the fuck out of the way_ , or I'll  _tear_  my own entrance into this damn hospital!"

A gigantic wolf crawled out and howled, long and deep, its eyes flashed wildly, menacingly throwing its glare across the room. Kise's scent scorched the air around him, hot and dry, and the bodyguards fell quiet, staggering backwards at the display of raw intimidation by a strong Heavy Seed. They needed no identification, when Kise had so boldly displayed his beastly nature for them to witness.

Even with the bodyguards being taller and larger than Kise was, they bowed down to the Heavy Seed, submissive. This was probably the first time Kuroko had seen such a scene, such a display of prowess. It made him realize that Kise was indeed a genuine Heavy Seed, an Alpha within the pack.

Kise quickly strode into the lobby, never spared a glance at the bodyguards, who had fallen to their knees. His expression hardened with worry and panic, eyebrows furrowed so deeply it ruined his handsome features, as if he grew older in a matter of seconds. Kise went past Kuroko like he hadn't seen him at all, slamming his fists onto the receptionist desk loudly. His voice was loud and demanding when he spoke to the nurse, who looked just as surprised as Kuroko was.

"Excuse me, I'd like to know where I can find a patient by the name, Kasamatsu Yukio? I heard he was admitted here yesterday! Please, tell me where he is!" He demanded, tone desperate.

The nurse seemed to snap out of her daze, quickly attending to the blonde's request and tapping into the keyboard of a PC. Kuroko stayed rooted to his spot, staring at the blonde in disbelief. It was like this wasn't the Kise he had known all these years, the one who was all frivolousness and sunshine. Uncertain, he stepped closer to the anxious blonde, stopping just two feet away.

"Um, Kise-kun?" He called out, unsure.

Kise turned his head to him, looking adequately shocked this time.

"Huh!? Kurokocchi!? Why are you here!? How long have you been there!?" He exclaimed and jumped, straightening his back. His eyes widened and mouth hung agape.

Oh, now he noticed Kuroko's presence. He hadn't had this sort of reaction for a while. "I've been here for a while, Kise-kun." He said. "Are you here for Kasamatsu-san? I'm surprised, you're very … quick." And by his reaction, Kise most likely had no idea about Kuroko being abducted.

The blonde practically leaped at the mention of Kasamatsu, grabbing at his shoulders and nearly yelling to his face. "Do you know where he is!? Is he okay!? My god, tell me he's okay! They won't tell me what happened to him!"

Kuroko quirked an eyebrow. "They?"

"There was a letter this morning in my mailbox — said Senpai got into an accident and was brought here! I mean, he didn't pick up his phone and didn't reply to my texts! I called his house and his mom said he didn't come home last night! I've known about this hospital since my mom gave birth to me here and — " He paused to inhale, the successive talking causing the air in his lungs to run out, " — and they didn't tell me if he's all right! Tell me, is he all right, Kurokocchi!?"

A letter claiming Kasamatsu got into an accident? Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows. That sounded suspicious. Nothing happened to Kasamatsu at all, besides his pregnancy, Kise was obviously being lied to. But for what purpose? Did the organization want to do something to the blonde, as well? Kuroko had a bad feeling about this.

" — cchi? Kurokocchi?" Kise shook his shoulders, snapping him from his thoughts. "Tell me where Senpai is, please, I beg you!"

Kuroko swallowed. He vaguely wondered if he should contact Aomine immediately, but he was sure Kise wouldn't let him go unless he brought him to Kasamatsu. "Okay, Kise-kun. I'll bring you to Kasamatsu-san." He finally obliged, thinking of borrowing Furihata's phone to call Aomine later.

His mind was full of doubt and suspicion as he escorted Kise along the way, all the while his mind working on the possible reasons why Kise was lured here. He couldn't imagine anything good would come out of it. Not when he himself had tasted so many bitter memories in this place. He grew anxious, a little afraid. How would they try to capture a Heavy Seed like Kise?

The blonde might be gentle in nature, but he wasn't weak, that was a definite fact. He was able to bring down three bodyguards without having to lay a finger on them. He came from a distinguished family as well, like most Heavy Seeds. What were they planning? Kuroko's suspicions grew darker, when he thought they might have used Kise' weakness — Kasamatsu — to get to the blonde, like they did with the letter. But Kasamatsu was pregnant, would they stoop that low?

So far, all he had was conjecture and speculations, no hard evidence, nothing. He couldn't know for sure, exactly. He had to talk to Aomine about this. Or Kagami, he wanted to talk to the redhead again. Things were getting out of hand, something ominous was lurking and he didn't like it.

When they arrived in front of the door, Kise couldn't wait and went ahead of him, ignoring the bodyguards standing by and slamming the door open, exclaiming loudly. "KASAMATSU-SENPAI! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" Kuroko was tempted to cover his ears for a second, standing by Kise's side when he shouted, unrestrained.

Furihata jumped in his bed, he looked confused and shocked by Kise's voice. Kasamatsu was sitting near the bed, looking at the blonde with wide eyes and lips slightly parted. "Kise?" He mouthed slowly, in disbelief and surprise.

Kise's expression relaxed almost immediately, his face fell in relief, eyes glazed and tears welled up. He stepped inside, his movement a bit uneven, staggering. "Senpai, you — you're okay. I thought — I was so worried…" He stammered, voice breaking at the tip.

Kasamatsu rose from his seat, a little bewildered. He walked past the bed, towards the blonde. By the look on his face, Kuroko knew he had similar concerns. Kise being here was not a good sign, to say the least. It was completely unexpected and therefore aroused suspicion.

"Kise, what are you doing here? This place is — "

Kise abruptly pulled him into a tight embrace, arms circling around the shorter man, effectively cutting Kasamatsu off. The blonde buried his face into the curve of Kasamatsu's neck, his shoulders were shaking violently, like autumn leaves blown by the wind. Sobs spilled out his lips and tears flowed freely.

"Senpai, I'm sorry!  _I'm such an idiot!_  I know you're mad at me, I know I'm the biggest idiot in the world. I know what I did is unforgivable. I'm so sorry — " He sobbed, harshly, beads of tears dripping down his eyes, uncontrollable, drenching Kasamatsu's shoulder. " — but I'm so relieved. I'm so glad nothing happened to you. God, I can't imagine what I'd do if I lost you! If I lost you when we're still fighting — I just — I can't — !" His voice gradually slipped into whispers, drowned in muffled sobs and whimpers.

Kasamatsu's expression softened, exchanging looks with Kuroko. He brought a hand to pat Kise's back, caressing a circle over the curve of his back. "Kise… hey, don't cry…" He whispered, softly. He returned the embrace. "I won't hit you anymore, so… don't cry."

Kise choked. "Senpai… I'm sorry…" He said, almost inaudible. He withdrew to look at Kasamatsu, face red and wet, and eyes puffy.

"I know, I know…" Kasamatsu said, staring up at him.

Kasamatsu sat Kise at the dining table, while Kuroko stayed near the bed, giving them privacy. It took a moment for Kise to finally calm down, still sobbing slightly. Kasamatsu patiently assured him and comforted him. Then when Kise had calmed down enough, they started talking quietly. Furihata and Kuroko tried not to appear like they were listening to the couple, having difficulty keeping it that way because Kise got loud after a while.

"Y - you're pregnant!? For real!?" The blonde exclaimed, standing up abruptly and slamming his palms onto the table. The table rattled beneath his fingers with the impact of his sudden movement.

Kasamatsu snorted. "Well, isn't that what you were trying to do? Knock me up? I heard the story from Kuroko, you little shit. I can't believe you even involved your friends! You have to apologies to them, Kise."

Kise's face went red, stammering his words. "I — I'll take responsibility, Senpai! I swear, I will quit — "

Kasamatsu quickly stood up and smacked the blonde on the head.

"Calm the hell down, you idiot. Don't get too excited yet. And don't fucking say you're quitting school, because I don't want my kid's father to be some lame ass high school dropout. You will graduate from high school, you hear me? That's for fucking sure. Then you'll attend college too, don't talk shit like you're going to abandon your education for me. I don't want that." He declared, sitting down again and crossing his arms over his chest, face sullen.

"Senpai, you're keeping the baby?" Kise slumped into his seat, cheeks flushing and tears welling up again.

Kasamatsu blushed. "… yeah, I'm keeping the baby." He admitted. "I'll have to hold back university for at least a year until I give birth, but it shouldn't a problem. I'll graduate in a few months, anyway. I'll need to explain to my parents about this, though. You — you're coming with me, Kise. We need to discuss this. I don't want to be alone when I'm explaining this to my family."

The blonde perked up, a tear trickled down his cheek. He frantically wiped his face with the sleeve of his blazer, beaming at Kasamatsu. "Yes, Senpai! I'll go with you, definitely!"

" … don't think I'll forgive you that easily for knocking me up, you bastard. I'm compromising, for now. I'm giving you a chance for this, only once. You'll get no more if you screw up again." Kasamatsu warned, snarling. He briefly glanced at Kuroko, the latter caught the subtle look and nodded.

"I - I know. I swear I'll be with you and help you through this. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Then they slipped into whispery conversation again, Kuroko and Furihata had to try hard to distract themselves from listening in. At some point, Kasamatsu and Kise stood up to continue their discussion next door in Kasamatsu's room, where it was more private for them to talk, biding the other two goodbye. Kise told Kuroko he'd want to talk to him later and apologized for getting him into trouble, and Kuroko nodded, agreeing to the offer.

When they left the room, Kuroko genuinely hoped they would be able to reach a mutual understanding, one that would best benefit the both of them.

"That was surprising, huh?" Furihata commented, staring at the door where the other two had exited. "I didn't expect Kise would come for Kasamatsu-san so quickly. I mean, how did he know Kasamatsu-san was here?"

"Ah, yes, about that. The circumstances appear to be a little more complex." Kuroko said. "Kise-kun told me he received a letter this morning, claiming Kasamatsu-san had gotten into an accident and was admitted to this hospital."

Furihata turned to him, eyes wide. "What? But Kasamatsu-san's completely fine! Isn't that weird that he's admitted to a hospital all the way out here, in the middle of nowhere?"

He nodded. "I'm afraid that Kise-kun might've been too blinded with worry that he couldn't see how odd the situation is. To put it simply, I believe Kise-kun was intentionally lured to this place, using Kasamatsu-san as the bait."

How revolting. Their method disgusted Kuroko. To use Kise's mate in order to get to the blonde, it was atrocious. He clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, fishing out the folded pamphlet map of the hospital, from his jeans' pocket.

"Furihata-kun, maybe it's time for us to stop being passive. Maybe it's time to fight back, in our own way." To even involve a pregnant person — his friend's mate, injure Furihata and now even drag Kise into this mess — this was going too far. Kuroko's claws tore the edge of the pamphlet when he gripped it too hard.

Kuroko was growing angrier at the thought of these people possibly intending to harm or take advantage of the people close to him. It was enough that they'd harmed Furihata in the first place, and now they even targeted Kise and Kasamatsu. Unbelievable. The beast inside him growled out, snarling, protective instincts overcoming his rational judgment. Our security was threatened and our authority challenged, we would not have this — we would not let them have their way with our pack. It whispered in his mind, filled with contempt. They would not harm anyone we cared, anymore.

Kuroko balled his fists and furrowed his eyebrows, the air around him grew heated, burning with fervor. Nobody close to him would be hurt, ever again. He had enough of this nonsense. He wouldn't stand for this.

Furihata visibly gulped.

"What do you think we should do, Kuroko?" He asked, nervous.

"I don't know for sure, yet. There're bodyguards everywhere and I'm constantly under surveillance with one of them always following me around, whenever I leave the room." He admitted, the gears in his head started turning, rotating. The wires knotted and unknotted, he pulled the threads that formed strategies, mapping webs of possibilities. There were some with potentials, but not enough to form a solid pillar.

"But I know one thing for sure, if I want to know the opponent's weakness and if I want to take advantage of them, then I have to study them. Learn their habits and routine, what makes them tick, what makes them break." He glanced at the slightly crumpled map, an idea coming to him. "And I need to learn every nook and cranny, the systems that built this place." He said, thoughtful.

The brunette stared at him, in awe. "Whoa, I wish I could go with you, Kuroko! But uh, I'm kinda useless right now. Oh my god, I'm so lame." He ducked his head and buried his face into his hands, flushing in embarrassment.

Kuroko smiled at him. "You've done your part, Furihata-kun. You saved me and you hid your phone for us, so now we can contact outside people. This is enough, for now." He assured the brunette. "Have you contacted your family, Furihata-kun?"

"Oh yeah! I called my bro, told him we're stuck in this place. Not sure if he gets it though. I also told Fukuda and Coach, but Kagami probably told them already. And uh, I tried to contact Akashi, but it looks like he's not around or busy maybe? I mean he didn't reply my texts or return my calls. I thought he'd want to help you Kuroko, 'cos he's your friend." Furihata told him.

He quirked an eyebrow. "You're Akashi-kun's friend too, Furihata-kun. Akashi-kun must be worried if you told him you're injured."

"Eeh, I dunno. 'cos we're just pen pals? You've been friends with him way longer, Kuroko. Pretty sure he'll choose you over me." The brunette grinned awkwardly, scratching his head. "Anyway, do you wanna use my phone? I'm done with it for the moment."

Kuroko looked over at the entrance of the room, it was silent.

He needed to contact Aomine as soon as he could, and inform him of Kise's situation. And maybe he'd call Kagami too. He started to think he would need to contact the rest of the Miracles for this, as Kise was involved in this mess as well. He accepted the phone from Furihata, dialing Aomine's phone number. He pressed the phone to his ear and waited, the line beeped three times, then cut off with a pre-recorded message telling the line was busy.

"Aomine-kun's not answering. Maybe he's busy calling other people." He did tell Kuroko he wanted to make some calls — he must be busy. Kuroko should try it again later. He stared at the phone, contemplating. Who else should he call? Momoi? Unfortunately, Kuroko couldn't remember her numbers that well. He could call Kagami, but it would be too soon after last night — Kuroko was a little frustrated.

He realized he hadn't come up with a single solid plan yet, and his head was too muddled with suspicion and possible intrigue to think straight.

"Furihata-kun, I need to go out and think about this." Kuroko said, chewing his lips. Maybe if he walked around the vicinity, he could find something useful. Also, he just remembered the library again, he couldn't deny that he may find something he could use there, as well. There might be useful books he could read. "Are you okay staying here by yourself?"

"I'm okay! Geez, I'm not a baby, Kuroko!" Furihata grinned, a balled fist pounded his chest as if to make a point. "Okay, Kuroko. Go! Find inspiration for uh — escape plans, or something like that!"

He made sure Furihata was all taken care of for the moment and returned his phone, noting he shouldn't be away for too long at a time. Kuroko left the room and the bodyguard followed him again, he observed him, he didn't notice before but it seemed like it had been the same bodyguard following him everyday. He must be especially assigned to watch Kuroko, there wasn't a rotation for his watch then. He snuck a glance at the other two guarding the door, noticing there were also some standing by in front of Kasamatsu's room.

Kuroko felt his blood bubble up, but he forced it down, gritting his teeth. For a second, his eyes burst in heat, and his bodyguard flinched when he caught a glance at Kuroko. How odd, he thought, now that Kuroko was more attuned to his beastly side, he could perform spontaneous transformation on a specific body part. He wondered if this was what Kagami felt, as his mate was quick to transform himself whenever upset. His vision became clearer and keener whenever his eyes morphed to that of an animal's.

Kuroko turned on his heel and started striding off, the bodyguard hesitated a second before tailing him again.

He went past the nearest nurse station, there were always two to three people sitting behind the desk, he noted. Even during the night. Behind the glass windows, he could see a telephone, a PC, cupboards that contained documents, photos of family vacations and yellow sticky notes pinned to a cork board on the wall, and something he assumed to be some sort of schedule. He only had seconds to glance, before his legs took him farther and farther, footsteps echoed through the hall.

He contemplated it, then changed the direction of his metamorphosis to his ears — almost immediately he stopped in his track and covered his ears with eyes clenched shut, because all kinds of noises, from escalated footsteps to people's minute heart beats and children's delighted squeals from somewhere, sharply blared into his eardrums, as if they were right beside him, the sounds were deafening and confusing. Kuroko changed them back, noting the need to practice control over that part if he wanted to use it. As expected, this wouldn't be so easy.

But he could hone these advantages, like he'd honed everything else that mattered to him. His misdirection and his scentless presence.

An idea came to him.

In the hallway towards the direction of the elevator area a janitor was mopping the floor, his cart of cleaning supplies was left in the middle of the corridor, sloppily blocking the way. The janitor had his ears stuffed with headphones, his head moving about in a soundless rhythm and mouth humming incoherently. Kuroko broke into a small run, ignoring the yellow triangle board that warned of slippery surface. His bones cracked and muscles shifted as he transformed his legs, familiar tingles of pain climbing up his lower body.

He kicked the ground with the balls of his feet and sped up, the floor was wet and slippery, giving him more speed, yet less accuracy. Everything turned blurry, safe for the cart and the janitor. The targets were always so clear in his vision, but he had no need to find prey — he had another idea in mind. From the corner of his eye, his bodyguard was running towards him, trying to catch up. But Kuroko was too quick, his smaller, lithe frame became his strength this time.

The janitor's cart rapidly came into view, at a pivotal moment, Kuroko focused with all of his being, in order to accurately predict the precise moment to jump. His claws extended, scraping onto the porcelain floor to increase control, but not enough to stop the calculated momentum. Just two steps away from the cart, he leaped upwards, limbs folded and back bent flexibly, the impetus caused him to jump over the cart and landed safely three steps ahead of it. The moment he landed, he kicked the ground again, leaping forward and sprinting.

He heard a loud noise from behind him and peeked over his shoulder. The bodyguard assigned to him had collided against the cleaning cart, bottles of products, buckets of dirty water and various cleaning materials fell on to him, whilst he collapsed and sat there on the floor, disoriented and shocked. Kuroko smiled to himself and sprinted even faster, the bodyguard was left far behind him, then he turned on a corner, vanishing completely from the watchful eyes of strangers. When he was completely alone, Kuroko shut down his instincts completely and effectively curbed his own scent to a minimum, his presence rapidly decreasing, then resumed his trip to the library with much needed privacy.

An hour or so later, he returned alone, stacks of books in hands. He'd borrowed a nice collection of classic novels and some pregnancy reference books for Kasamatsu. The two bodyguards stared at him confused, searching for the one assigned to watch him. Kuroko ignored them and entered the room. Furihata was eating lunch by himself, his face lit up when he saw Kuroko.

"Hey! How's your trip? Oh wow, these are nice!" The brunette exclaimed in delight, inspecting the books Kuroko had pored onto the bed. He looked up at Kuroko, grinning gratefully. "So, you got any new ideas yet? You came back pretty fast though."

"Oh yes." Kuroko said, smiling. "It has been a very inspiring trip."

—

TBC.

—


	9. Red Fury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Surprise! For the mean time, the POV will be switched to Kagami’s Arc, because I think I’ve written Kuroko’s situation adequately enough. Enjoy. :-} Thank you for the support so far! Whoa, 7K views already?? Hahaha, that’s a lot! Haha, I’m feeling the pressure. *sweats* Since I’m focusing on writing **Beastly Call** to its climax, I won’t be updating anything else for a while (okay maybe if I need to write something else for a break). :-}
> 
> Sorry this chapter’s a bit late (well, from my usual pace anyway), last week I’ve got to take care of some business for 3 days, so writing’s been delayed for a bit. Shout out to **tracker-lucifer** , who’d supplied me with a LOT of KnB stuff on tumblr!! My god, girl, you’re awesome! (*w*)
> 
> Latest Chapter is proofed and Edited by **KC**!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 9: Red Fury

—

"The Organization, those motherfuckers!" Kagami snarled deeply, heated rage crept up his body like a web of electricity, frying his nerves and spreading like a disease.

He gripped the phone tightly, the voice of his mate, his beloved — Kuroko had sounded so sorrowful. He couldn't stand it. What happened when he wasn't there? Why was Furihata hurt? Why did they take his mate away from him and why were they holding them captive? So many questions, so few answers. He hated the fact that he was so powerless to prevent this from happening — for someone to take Kuroko away from him. Unforgivable. It was more than simply about his alpha male pride torn apart, the fact that Kuroko had been hurt, although it may not be physical, tortured him.

He brought up the phone and pressed it against his lips. They had just ended their conversation, but Kagami wanted to hear his mate's voice again, desperately. "Kuroko, be safe." He whispered. "I'll come to you. I swear, I'll find you." Kuroko needed him, he couldn't waste time now.

Kagami glanced at his jacket flung over the couch and picked it up, striding across the living room of his flat, towards the entrance. He snatched the keys and wallet from the top of the shoe drawer nearby, stuffing them into the pockets of his bomber jacket and jeans. He threw the jacket on and zipped up, his iPhone still in one hand as the other was busy tugging the heel of the sneaker to allow access for his foot. He tentatively dialed a number from his contacts; the screen flashed with Midorima's name.

He clucked his tongue, annoyed, when his apparently large foot took too long to slip into the shoe. His phone continuously pressed against his ear. Dammit, of all the times, such a pain! Midorima didn't pick up, after a while and the line died out. He wondered if it was because the hour was already nearing midnight, from a glance to his phone's digital clock.

The Seirin team members were probably asleep already, including everyone else who had helped him with the search during the day. Kagami himself was exhausted as well. He couldn't sleep for the past three nights, knowing Kuroko was missing for days, out there and out of his reach. Somewhere he didn't know, with someone he couldn't imagine. The exhaustion and sleep deprivation gave a throbbing pain in his head, stubbornly pounding away, getting worse with each sleepless night. His body was weary, his mind numb with worry. His head felt heavy.

But Kagami couldn't, and wouldn't rest now, since he'd gotten hints of where his mate could be.  _Kuroko_ , he kept calling out in his head,  _Kuroko, be safe_. He couldn't stand the powerlessness, the anxiety of the unknown. Anything could've happened to Kuroko and he could only imagine the worst. Kagami clenched his teeth — it took all he had not to get overly emotional — God, he never knew such dark emotions before.

There was no time to rest.

He finally got his sneakers on, tied tightly and stood. Once again, he dialed Midorima's number, and he intended to do so as many times as needed. Of all the people he knew, Midorima was one of the smartest, he was sure he could tell Kagami what he'd need to find his mate. He wouldn't back down without a fight.

It took two more tries until Midorima finally picked up the line, sounding deeply displeased. Like Kagami cared, this was an emergency.

" _And what, pray tell, is so important, that you would call me at this ungodly hour on a Saturday night, Kagami Taiga?_ " Midorima wasted no time in telling Kagami just exactly how he felt.

So, Kagami held nothing back either. "It's Kuroko, goddammit! He's been kidnapped by the Organization!"

Midorima made a choked sound across the line.

"  _… what did you just say?_ " Midorima's voice sounded stiff, strained. Another voice emerged from the line, slow and lethargic.

" _Shin-chan… who's that? Come back to bed, babe._ "

It sounded awfully familiar to Kagami. A man's voice — then he remembered Kuroko had once told him that Midorima was dating Takao.

" _Sssh. Takao, be quiet. Kagami, what did you say? Kuroko was taken by the Organization? I didn't know any of this. Explain, if you will._ " Midorima demanded, at least he was willing to listen now. Kagami spared no expense to explain the situation.

He briefly told Midorima the short version of the story.

A few days ago, Kuroko had missed a morning practice. He had never skipped before, and Kagami couldn't seem to get his calls through. He even called Kuroko's house and his mother had told him Kuroko hadn't been home and he'd ignored her calls or texts. It was highly unusual for his mate to ignore Kagami and his mother's calls, Kuroko never acted that way. He knew his mate always told his mother where he'd be or what he was doing, no matter where he was, they were close.

The next day, still no news of Kuroko. His mother, in tears, called Kagami and told him that Kuroko hadn't come home the night before. Panicking by then, Kagami had told the whole Seirin team about this and noticed Furihata hadn't been around either. Nobody could get a hold on him. When they called Fukuda, his older brother told them Furihata hadn't come home either. With increased worry, the team dismissed practice at once and had been looking for the both of them since, anywhere they thought they might be.

Desperate, Kagami and some of the Seirin members went to all places they'd been to with Kuroko, for a slight chance that his mate would be there. They found nothing. Kagami never felt so … useless. With all the money and power he had, none of it could bring Kuroko back to him. Nothing could tell him what happened to his own mate. The rage he felt towards his own lacking, was near blinding, uncontrollable. He didn't know where to direct the fury, it was kept deep within, bubbling up for an inevitable explosion.

And then suddenly, on the third day after searching from almost sunup to sundown, Kuroko contacted him.

"I can't fucking stand it. They took Kuroko away from me.  _My_. Mate.  _They have no right!_ " Kagami told Midorima, temper rising. He couldn't help it, three days worth of frustration. Three days without Kuroko, no news until tonight. He felt like he was going insane, from the rage and the exertion and the worry.

"  _… first, you must calm down, Kagami. I understand how much this upsets you, but being angry resolves nothing._ " Midorima coldly told him. Kagami was irritated. Easy for him to say, it wasn't his mate that'd been taken away. If it was Takao who was in Kuroko's shoes, Kagami was sure even the normally impassive Midorima would snap.

He had to take several deep breaths, to calm himself down. He hated to admit it, but Midorima was right. Kuroko even begged him not to give in to his recklessness. And he'd promised Kuroko he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"This hospital. Midorima, you're smart. Do you know anything about it? Kuroko told me it's affiliated to the Organization." He asked, tone urgent. He couldn't stand another day without Kuroko, he'd go seriously insane at this point. He needed to know now.

Midorima was silent for a short moment.

" _I'm afraid I'm lacking in such information presently, this hospital you're speaking of must only be known to a specific pool of people in the society._ " He admitted. " _However, I will help you, Kagami Taiga. We should meet, tonight if you wish. I need to know more of what Kuroko has told you and about the whole situation._ "

Kagami could hear fabric rustle and a bed creak , Takao's voice slipped into the line again.

" _Shin-chan? Where are you going? It's late already._ "

" _Takao, I have to go. I'm meeting Kagami — Kuroko has been abducted. We need to discuss the matter further, immediately._ "

Takao sounded shocked. " _… huh? Kuroko, abducted? What do you mean? What the hell is going on?_ "

" _I have no idea, that's why I'm going to meet Kagami, to understand the situation better. Stay in bed, Takao. I'm going out for the night, don't wait for me._ " Midorima simply said.

"Hey, is that okay, leaving your mate like that?" Kagami asked nervously.

He felt bad for ruining Midorima and Tako's night. And jealous. If things hadn't gone straight down to hell, he would be enjoying a lover's night with Kuroko by now. He had wanted to have Kuroko stay over. He'd wanted to make love to Kuroko in his bed for the first time, and get Kuroko's delicious scent all over his bed sheets and room. Kagami cursed at the Organization inwardly, for ruining everything.

" _He's alright._ " Midorima dismissed, easily. " _This is urgent, Takao will understand. All he needs to do is to stay quiet at home and —_  "

He heard more rustling noises and bed creaking loudly.

" _Shin-chan! I'm going with you, I wanna know too!_ "

" _… excuse me, for a bit._ "

The noises suddenly seemed muffled, Midorima must have purposely covered the receiver. Kagami could hear noises of people talking, they were probably arguing, Kagami noted. He waited patiently. Ugh, his head buzzed with a dull ache. He used the conversation break to rub the bridge of his nose, the flesh around area seemed to throb painfully. His eyes felt heavy. He knew he needed to rest, but he just couldn't. Kuroko kept appearing in the darkness every time he closed his eyes, he couldn't rest easy until he had his mate in his arms once more.

The muffled noises quieted down after several minutes, Midorima sounded tired when he spoke again.

" _I apologize for the wait. Takao will come along, is that alright?_ " He asked, drawing a long sigh.

"Yeah, that's cool. The more people in this, the better." Kagami quickly said. He realized he might need some strong coffee for this. He usually avoided caffeine, but this was urgent. He needed to stay awake, even if it was for one more night. "How about we meet up in a cafe? Starbuck's open for twenty-four hours. I need coffee. I'll text you the location."

" _Of course._ "

He ended the call and quickly typed in the location of the cafe, around the downtown shopping district, the street noises might keep him awake Kagami decided. He pushed the send button and made sure he'd brought his keys and wallet along, locking the door behind him before leaving.

In times like this, Kagami wished he had a license. If he were in the United States, he could have at least a permit for motorcycle by now, but in Japan he needed to be eighteen years old for that. At sixteen he could do  _nothing_. Shit, how would he commute at this hour? The subway train had probably stopped operating for the night, he had no choice but to call for a cab. Fishing out his phone again, Kagami dialed for a taxi company's numbers and booked an express order. He waited in the freezing cold until the driver arrived five minutes later, he entered the cab and told the driver his destination.

Midorima texted him, and informed him he was on his way. Kagami replied with a thanks. He was glad to find someone who could help him at this hour — he didn't want to have to drag in his already exhausted Seirin teammates on more search missions. Hyuuga and Izuki, specifically, had gone with him for two consecutive days to look for Kuroko. They probably had checked half of Tokyo as of the end of that day. If possible, Kagami wanted to give them some time to rest. They needed it.

The nightlife of Tokyo downtown area was quite something, especially on a Saturday night.

The various colours of bright lights of the restaurant, bars and nightclubs' billboards hurt his eyes. Kagami, being underage and having no urge to drink nor party, to preserve his condition for the sake of Basketball, had never gone to such places before. The cab later took him towards the shopping area, where he usually bought his sports gear, although most of the shops were closed for the night. There were rows of cafes and restaurants near where he got off. He paid for the fare and walked down the streets, crowded with people and a couple of drunks, towards the Starbuck's located at the corner of an intersection.

It was rather empty, he could easily get a spot at the corner of the room, next to a large window overlooking the street. Kagami went to buy a large Americano with three Espresso shots, and an assortment of quiches for supper. After he'd gotten his order, he sat on the sofa and waited, gulping down the coffee and munching through the still warm quiches. He glanced at his phone every now and then, to check for any inbox or call.

He waited for twenty or so minutes, before Midorima and Takao arrived at the scene.

"Hey, Kagami! Sorry we took so long, there's traffic on the way. Subway's closed for the night — the buses too. We had to go look for a taxi."

Takao was the first to greet him, taking a seat across from Kagami. Somehow, he managed to convince Midorima to let him tag along, from the previous phone conversation Kagami didn't think Midorima would let him. He guessed even Midorima had a soft spot for his mate.

"I needed to do something first — I made some calls." Midorima simply stated as he sat, he was carrying a small laptop in hand, which he set up on the table. He looked around, seemingly unimpressed. "At least you've chosen a place with free wifi here, so I don't have to set up a modem. It would be troublesome."

Takao grinned and sniggered.

"Shin-chan goes to Starbucks a lot, you see. He's such a hipster! He loves the new Red Bean Frappuccino they have on display recently." Midorima threw him a glare, but the shorter man didn't look like he cared the slightest, grinning mischievously. "Okay, just chill. I'll get your order, Shin-chan. The usual, right? I'll be right back." Takao kissed his mate on the cheek, standing up and walking towards the barista station.

When Takao was away, Midorima pushed up the bridge of his glasses and turned to Kagami.

"I heard the brief explanation over the phone, but it's not quite clear to me, yet. You were too emotional, I did not understand half of the things you told me." He started, arms crossed over his chest. "Before I speculate and conclude anything, I want to know everything. Every detail of what's going on. Tell me, especially, about what Kuroko told you. Slowly and clearly, now."

Kagami inhaled deeply, then explained, all that he'd done for the search and what he knew so far. Midorima listened to his story, occasionally interrupting to clarify something, but otherwise he listened to what Kagami had to say quietly. Kagami couldn't help the frustration from slipping out into his tone while he was telling of his failed searches, when he thought so many times that he had failed Kuroko, how he'd failed as a mate and failed in his promise to protect him no matter what would happen. For all his big talk, he was just another loser. Kagami hated this feeling.

In the end, he managed to hold back his emotions well enough to conclude his side of the story to Midorima — Takao had returned with their orders, somewhere in the middle of his explanation, sitting next to Midorima and listening silently.

"How peculiar." Midorima commented after he'd finished. "What exactly does the Organization want from Kuroko, enough to incite such a drastic measure? No matter how one looks at it, there must be a strong reason behind such reckless actions."

Kagami clamped his mouth shut. "I… I didn't think about it, now that you mentioned it." Kagami admitted. "Why did they even kidnap Kuroko? He's not rich, his family's pretty ordinary. The most obvious, special thing about Kuroko is his misdirection. I don't think that's what it is, though."

Midorima nudged the rim of his glasses, giving him a stern look. "Think, Kagami. You're his mate. You know more about Kuroko than any of us do. Has anything unusual occurred before this happened, or maybe he's in possession of something the Organization would want? There must be a reason."

He chewed his lips. Midorima was right, Kagami knew the most intimate details about Kuroko. If anyone knew anything about Kuroko, it would be him, as Kuroko's mate. What the hell did the Organization want with Kuroko? The last time that blasted organization was mentioned, it was when Kise had asked for a favor —

"Wait a second." Kagami suddenly said, realizing something crucial. Kise. The harassments due to his lineage as a Japanese wolf. An organization that intruded personal details, including the parental lineage of a Wereperson. His intuition told him this incident might have something to do with that, although he didn't know what it was for sure.

"I don't know what they want but — this is something Kuroko told me not to tell to anyone, but since this is urgent." He started, unsure. He knew he promised not to rat on Kise, he'd try not to spill too much about this.

"Kise mentioned something about the Organization's nasty habits of checking up on personal details of rare breeds, and — and I was really fucking sure that I'm no rare breed since I'm a hybrid, but my parents — they're purebred lion and tiger. Do you think that makes me notable enough to check up on?" He asked, looking at Midorima.

The bespectacled man inhaled sharply, Takao dropped his jaw, eyes widening.

" _Whoa_. What. I know you're a Heavy Seed, Kagami, but you're actually a lion  _and_  tiger hybrid? That's like, the rarest of the rare! An exotic hybrid! Right, Shin-chan?" He turned to his mate for a response.

"Takao is right. Kagami, you may not be a rare  _breed_. But you are a  _rare_  hybrid." Midorima concluded. "I can't believe you didn't even realize it yourself — how much of an idiot are you?"

" _Sh — shut up!_  That's not important right now!" Kagami snarled and flushed, embarrassed. "Besides, how would I know? Mom and dad never said anything about me being a special hybrid. In the States, nobody gives a rat's ass about my breed!" He argued, fuming.

"But it does matter, it makes you notable to the Organization." Midorima stated matter-of-factly. "That means, they'll also check up on your mate's details — about Kuroko's parents and lineage."

Kagami felt the warmth drain from his face. "Th - that can't be." He stuttered, his voice shook slightly. "This is all  _my_  fault? I set up Kuroko for this?"

"It's too soon to place blame, Kagami, I don't think this is your fault. Nobody asked for the Organization to meddle into your personal affairs. Believe me, I know." The cheetah quickly said, temporarily distracting Kagami from his grim realization. Midorima and Takao exchanged looks, they locked gazes for a few seconds, before Midorima turned to him again. Takao's head lowered, gaze downcast.

"There are still unanswered questions, as to why they took Kuroko. Even if he's your mate and you're under their watch list, it still doesn't explain why they are holding him captive for so long. What do they want from Kuroko, so badly that they'd resort to such measures?"

Kagami stared at Midorima blankly.

"What do they want…? Wait. If — if they checked up on Kuroko's records, then, maybe that…?" He said, unsure. Could it be about Kuroko's parents? "There's something he told me… Kuroko's parents. They're Primates. His late grandmother was a White Fox. Kuroko didn't know he was a Wereperson until he was six, he got into this accident — "

" _What?_ " Midorima interrupted, eyes widened and back straightened, leaning forward. "Did I hear correctly when you said, Kuroko's parents are  _Primates?_ "

Takao gasped, glancing at the both of them. "Wait, Kagami, so what you're saying is, Kuroko is a  _Returner to Ancestry_?" He asked, in disbelief.

Returner to Ancestry, also known as a Retrograde. While it was true that the union of a Wereperson and a Primate would almost always result in Primate children, sometimes a once in a million chance occurred. An uncanny miracle.

A Werechild born from such union was called a Returner to Ancestry. Unlike the common Seeds caste levels, a Returner to Ancestry belonged to its own level of classification. The peculiar species was well known to possess high fertility like the Primates did, but have the prowess and pheromone level of Heavy Seeds, with potential for supernatural powers even stronger than that of the Heavy Seeds', as well. They were the ultimate premium species, highly desirable.

Kuroko apparently didn't know this, that he was a Returner to Ancestry. It hadn't mattered to Kagami at all actuality. Kagami wanted Kuroko for Kuroko. It didn't matter whether Kuroko was a Returner or not. That was why he didn't explain this to his mate. He'd wanted Kuroko for so long, Kagami didn't care what his status was. He had worked hard to have Kuroko as his mate, everything else was unnecessary. He could be an ordinary Light Seed, and Kagami would still pine for him anyway.

"Yeah." Kagami admitted. "Kuroko told me not to tell anyone 'coz his grandma told him not to, but since the subject about his lineage keeps coming up… I thought I needed to tell you guys."

Midorima slumped into his seat.

"I … never knew. Kuroko never told me." He murmured, nudging his crooked glasses back in place. "I suppose that is a private matter, after all, it is far wiser not to tell anyone of his true identity. A Returner to Ancestry … you've gotten yourself quite a mate, Kagami. I'm impressed."

Takao suddenly slammed a fist onto the table, throwing a dirty look at Midorima, face scrunching in displeasure. "What the hell does that mean, Midorima!? You prefer Kuroko over me, is that how it is!? So after all, you really did have a thing for Kuroko! Now that he's a Returner, you want him more!?" He loudly accused, eyes glazed.

Kagami looked at Takao and blinked, didn't quite get what the shorter man was talking about.

Midorima glanced up at his mate tiredly. "I told you I had nothing going on with Kuroko in the past, Takao. You are my mate, aren't you? You do realize Kuroko is Kagami's mate. So do sit down and eat your cake. It's melting." He assured, he brought a hand across Takao's shoulder and patted him, subtly bringing their bodies closer. Takao fell quiet, snuggling against his mate and wrapping his arms around Midorima's waist.

Then he turned to Kagami. "Please excuse Takao's behavior. His hormones are currently unstable due to the fertility treatments he's on. He's sometimes too sensitive, lately." Midorima told him, a hand stroking Takao's head gently.

"Fertility treatments? You guys are planning to have kids?" Kagami was awed. Kuroko did mention something like this before, but seeing Midorima so infatuated with his mate was weird. It was so out of character.

"Not now, we'll have some after we graduate. Maybe one. Or two cute kids. Boy, or girl. I dunno. It doesn't matter as long as we'll have them." Takao mumbled, looking up at his mate and blushing. "Right, Shin-chan?"

Midorima smiled, stroking Takao's head lovingly. "Indeed, Takao."

Shit, he actually thought Midorima and Takao were  _adorable_. Kagami obviously needed more coffee, the bitter kind, he started seeing weird stuff due to the exertion and sleepiness.

"At any rate, we know now that Kuroko is a Returner to Ancestry. That might be a spark for the Organization's interest in him — however, I still feel there is something not quite right with this revelation. It simply… isn't enough to excuse such measures." Midorima told Kagami.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kagami asked. What the hell, Midorima kept on saying stuff in riddles. He didn't get it. "Talk like a person, Midorima. I don't get what you mean, dammit!" He barked, slamming a fist on the table. He didn't have time for riddles, he needed to get Kuroko back ASAP!

Midorima snorted.

"Hmph. You shouldn't let your emotions get into your head, Kagami. Just a small piece of advice." He coldly dismissed him. "What I mean is, we need to know why and what caused them to do such things. That's why I made some calls before I came here — I called Akashi. I figured he must know about the existence of this hospital, you, or what Kuroko, was speaking of."

That actually made him reel backwards for a bit. He wasn't fond of the redheaded psycho (since his attempt to attack him with those friggin' scissors, Kagami still shivered whenever he remembered), but he couldn't be picky at this time.

"Akashi? What did he say about it?"

"Unfortunately he did not pick up the call — for his personal cellphone that is. He picked up my call for his work numbers." Midorima told him, flipping open the small laptop in front of him.

"Akashi is currently in Hong Kong, attending a business meeting with his father. I told him what bare information your simple explanation could provide me. He said he would look into it and send me an email —  _ah_ , as expected, he never fails to please. Do behave and wait patiently, Kagami, until I am done researching." His gaze locked at the screen and fingers started getting busy.

Kagami growled tiredly. He knew he didn't get along with Midorima, or any of Kuroko's Generation of Miracles friends. Yet he'd never have the displeasure of having to deal with them by himself, without Kuroko around, as the middleman. He didn't know how his mate was able to deal with their constant cockiness, without getting irritated. Beggars couldn't be choosers, however, especially in this case.

Whilst Midorima was typing away and concentrating on his laptop, Kagami laid his head over his folded arms, feeling painfully tired. Takao had finished his chocolate cake, yawned and leaned his head against Midorima's shoulder, looking at the empty space absently. Kagami tentatively checked the clock on his phone, it was nearing 2 A.M. His head was heavy, throbbing with a headache. He blinked slowly and almost fell asleep a few times, but would jolt awake in minutes. The Starbucks was still empty, there were only some students, busily doing their homework or studying.

Kagami yawned loudly, and closed his eyes, needing a little rest. Even though his mind couldn't help but think of Kuroko, he forced himself to take a break. Midorima stayed awake, still typing away even after fifteen minutes or so, Takao was dozing off on his side. Midorima apparently had snaked a hand over Takao's waist to steady him when the latter wobbled, his head lolled back as he snored, eyes closed. Midorima moved his hand to Takao's head and pushed him back to his shoulder.

Gosh, they were so sweet it made his teeth hurt, Kagami thought. He ignored them and attempted to sleep again, burying his face into his arms.

He got in around half an hour of an uninterrupted nap, when Midorima woke him up.

"I got it. I know what this hospital is." Kagami heard him declare, he jerked out of his nap with a violent jolt. His head immediately throbbed sharply due to the sudden rouse from sleep, he yelped and reared back, clutching his head with both hands.

" _Ooww! Motherfucker — !_ " He cursed in English, mind buzzing and spinning, heavy. He shook his head violently in order to sweep off the sensation. "What — what did you just say!? You know where it is!?" He quickly said, throwing his attention towards Midorima.

Midorima pushed up the bridge of his glasses. "I didn't say I found  _where_. I found  _what_  it is, and the Organization affiliated to it." He easily explained. Takao groaned next to him, awake, rubbing his eyes. Kagami waited with bated breath, waiting for a more detailed explanation.

"It's a private hospital, only known to select communities within the Society. There isn't an official page made available for the public on the web, or even any related news articles hinting of its existence. I had some trouble finding more about this information, until Akashi's email provided me some links to forums only accessible for VVIP memberships. It's all very hush-hush, secretive. It's a private institution — or more akin to a preservation institution, specializing in accommodating Endangered Species — it houses orphans, expecting mothers and elderly from specific pools of species. There're some brief descriptions, here and there, but it's all very limited." He explained, his glasses shone and reflected the white screen.

"I know about that already! What else!?" Kagami barked out, impatience and irritation mixing and adding into the accumulated pond of frustration.

Midorima eyed him and snorted, derisively. "…as I was saying, it's all very limited, however, Akashi pointed me in all the right directions. If he didn't, we could spend all night until morning, searching, and we'd find nothing." His fingers started typing again.

"The Organization became affiliated with the institution about … sixty years ago. It was previously a part of the government body, but had long since grown independent, financed by some of the most powerful companies in the country — yet half of their budget is still funded by the government. Hmm, no wonder. Such institutions would have strong backups, from the government and outside of it, maybe even from the Police Enforcement Department. Even if you file for Missing Persons in Kuroko's case, they may be able to use their influence to deter the investigation. Makes sense — that's why they're crude with their methods. They can safely get away with it, should they want to."

Moisture drained from Kagami's throat, until it felt like sand in a desert. He stared at Midorima, horrified.

"What…? What do you mean by — NO! Kuroko is…!"

"It's too soon to assume the worst, Kagami." Midorima interrupted, nudging up the rims of his glasses. "Nobody can get away with kidnapping innocent bystanders if word gets out, not even the Organization. That's one silver lining in this situation. In this case, it's better to be as well-informed as possible and gather enough evidence, instead of jumping to conclusions and being reckless — I assume Kuroko has told you not to do anything stupid, correct?"

Kagami clamped his mouth shut. Damn him, how did he know their business? Kagami glared at Midorima, silently.

"I don't really get the shit about government and whatnot. I only want Kuroko back. I want my mate back. That's all there is to it. Uh, also, Furihata too. Can't forget about him." He retorted. He must admit, he didn't really understand half of the things Midorima told him.

Midorima sighed deeply.

"I will endeavor to explain things more simply for you." He agreed, rubbing his temples and crossing his arms over his chest.

" … anyhow, I came across some very interesting minor details that I thought may have some significance to this situation. Apparently, a few days ago… in fact, just two days prior, there had been a sudden change in leadership within the institution. Naturally, there are more than a few internal problems caused by it — or so I'm informed, however that isn't what surprised me."

"What? Spit it out, Midorima. I told you don't talk in riddles, dammit." Kagami snapped, still glaring.

Midorima's lips grew stiff. "The names of the previous and current directors of the institution are … Aomine Daisuke and Aomine Daichi, respectively."

He suddenly forgot what he was doing, the empty cup clattered and fell from the table, rolling on the floor. Takao looked at his mate, eyes wide.

" _Aomine?_ " He gaped, vaguely thinking he might have heard wrong. "That…  _that Aomine?_ "

"I don't know yet, but it can't be a coincidence." Midorima said. "I remembered Aomine once told me he was an heir of a some sort of important institution … but he never told me the details."

Aomine… might be related to Kuroko's abduction? Kagami suddenly felt a surge of illogical fury, scorching a burning web within the cranium of his head, crawling down his entire body and turning every other thought into ashes. It had been days.  _Three days!_  It was almost the fourth day since Kuroko had gone missing with barely any news. Kagami was at his wits end with worry and frustration — Aomine might have known about this, yet said nothing.  _Nothing!_  Kagami couldn't even begin to describe how pissed off he was at the revelation.

" _Calm down._ " Midorima sternly told him, aware of his rising temper. Kagami didn't realize he'd started transforming, claws scraping against the wooden table. "There's no hard evidence yet. We don't know for sure. I will need to confirm this — and you will need to rest. You look like you haven't been sleeping for days." He pointed out, snapping Kagami from his dark thoughts.

Takao chided in, for once. "Shin-chan's right, Kagami. You look like hell. I mean dude, _look at those epic dark circles!_  You're going to need energy to look for Kuroko. And Shin-chan may not look like it, but he's super strict when it comes to his beauty sleep. He came all the way here for you, y'know? He's really worried about Kuroko, like you are."

Midorima sharply turned to his lover, a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. "Takao, you stay quiet and go to sleep."

"But Shin-chan, you never stay up late! I know you're tired too, let's go home and sleep? We can continue in the morning." Takao pouted, tugging at his arm.

Kagami suddenly felt adequately ashamed, he didn't realize he'd forced both Midorima and Takao to go through his problems, for so many hours already. He should be grateful to Midorima, for sparing his time to help him look for Kuroko. Now he knew far more than he did hours ago, he should cut them some slack. He peeked at his phone and noticed it was 3 in the morning. The streets were mostly empty now, the eerie silence had set in, beyond the large window display.

"I — sorry, dude. I didn't notice." He said, gaze lowered. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "You're right. We should rest. It's late already, we can continue later. You can uuh — sleep at my place. It's closer. If you want. I have wifi, and my dad's room's got a double bed."

Midorima and Takao exchanged looks.

"Shin-chan, I don't mind if you want to." Takao said.

The taller of the two breathed in, and sighed. " … it's too late to go back home at this hour. I will need to wake up my parents." He turned to Kagami. "If it's not much of a bother, we'd like to accept your offer."

Already very exhausted and head heavy, the three of them left the cafe and went out to hail a cab. The streets were mostly empty, only drunks and partygoers still lingered around. They hailed a cab fairly quickly; Kagami sat in the front seat while Midorima and Takao sat in the passenger seats. Takao was dozing off by his side and Midorima kept his eyes wide open, staring beyond the window. Kagami himself was already so tired, he could barely keep his eyes open. Three days of sleeplessness were finally catching up to him, his mind a little lighter now after he'd heard Kuroko's voice and known that he was at least unharmed.

They arrived at his place ten minutes later, with the lack of the usual weekend night traffic. Kagami unlocked the door and allowed the other two to enter, showing them towards his dad's unused bedroom. Alex had stayed in that room before, so he'd kept it fairly clean should the woman suddenly decide to crash at his place again. It shouldn't be a problem. Takao yawned and bade him good night while Midorima politely thanked him, and they disappeared into the bedroom.

Kagami took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge and took off his jacket, keys and wallet, placing them on the kitchen counter. He went to his own bedroom, striping off his jeans until he was only in boxers. He sat on the bed and uncapped the bottle, then drank the fresh liquid. It felt good, soothing his parched throat, and washing away the dry stickiness. Kagami glanced at his bed, staring at the spot where Kuroko always slept when he stayed over — and felt a deep loneliness nudging at the back of his mind.

He put the bottle of water on the bedside table then flung his legs onto the bed, pulling up the blanket to cover himself. He gingerly palmed the empty spot on the bed next to the wall, and all he felt was the cold of the sheets beneath his fingers. His head still hurt, and he detected pain in other parts of his body as well — his chest, in particular. It throbbed with a cold, numbing sensation.

Kagami furrowed his eyebrows deeply and closed his eyes, wishing he would at least dream of Kuroko.

—

When he woke up, it was already 10:27 A.M.

Kagami groaned loudly and tossed, kicking the blanket off of him. The slumber still made his head heavy, but the headache was better compared to yesterday. It sucked. He stared at the ceiling of his room absently. Then he sat up, his stomach growled loudly. He was starving. He looked over at the empty spot near the wall, the emptiness still hollow, cold. Kagami shook his head and got off the bed. He needed a shower, before preparing some food to eat.

After the shower and a change of clothes he left the bathroom, finding Midorima and Takao awake, sitting on the couch in the living room. The former was typing furiously on his laptop. Takao grinned and bade him good morning, which he returned, somewhat awkwardly. It was weird to see them in his flat. He was used to Seirin members crashing in, not their opponents. Kagami thought of making food for the guests as well, now that they were there. He still had one and a half pints of pancake mix he'd kept since yesterday in the fridge.

It was almost lunchtime though, maybe he could make the savory type. With fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages. It should be enough for him and the others. Deciding his choice, Kagami walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a frying pan from a hanging rack, placing it on the stove. Then he went to the fridge to get some butter and the pints of pancake mix.

"Whoa, this is  _good_!" Takao exclaimed with his mouth full, chomping down on the breakfast Kagami had served them.

He was eating happily, as opposed to Midorima who was eating his portion in silence. "Seriously Kagami! This is really good! Are you a pro chef? Whoa, Kuroko's really lucky to have you as his mate! He can eat like this everyday, _I'm jealous_!" Midorima quickly shot him a shocked, hurt look. Which Takao didn't seem to notice, too busy munching.

Kagami laughed inwardly. That was exactly how he'd seduced Kuroko in the beginning — lured him to his place with food, especially with a lot of vanilla shakes. Kuroko would certainly come if there were vanilla shakes involved. Everything else after that went smoothly.

"Glad you like it." Kagami said, grinning. The silent glare Midorima was giving him, did nothing but inflate his ego.

"Momoi contacted me this morning." Midorima revealed, after they were finished with brunch. Takao had offered to wash the dishes, scrubbing the plates in the kitchen and humming energetically.

Kagami stopped drinking his water, he gulped and put down the glass. "And?" He urged.

Midorima breathed in.

"As suspected, Aomine is directly connected to the institution. In fact, his family has been running the institution since its founding year, as Head Directors of the Hospital. Aomine is third in the succession line, after his uncle and his father. The current Director is his uncle, his father's older brother. He was previously the Vice Director, before taking over the Former Director — Aomine's grandfather — as the new Director." He briefly explained, arms crossing over his chest.

"Momoi informed me of Kuroko's condition in the institution, as well as your teammate. Apparently this … Furihata was injured when he attempted to fight off the institution's bodyguards. They were forcefully separated, and Kuroko was attacked by one of them, but he managed to fight the culprit and remain unharmed. Your teammate, however, was subjected to several wounds and declared bed rest for a few weeks, at most."

Kagami's gripped the glass so hard, the surface cracked. "Kuroko and Furihata … were attacked? Kuroko…  _Kuroko was attacked_!?"

"He's uninjured." Midorima assured him, firmly.

But Kuroko was so sorrowful that Furihata had gotten hurt. Kagami recalled Kuroko mentioning it was his fault — did Furihata get hurt while defending his mate? Furihata was just a Light Seed, a Shibainu Light Seed. He was a nice, quiet guy. A bit timid. Never picked a fight. Shit. Shit shit shit. Those fuckers! Kagami didn't know anything. Kuroko was suffering and he wasn't there. When he was assaulted, Kagami was nowhere. What kind of fucking mate was he!? A fucking useless one.

" _Fuck!_  Those fuckers! I can't fucking believe this! They tried to hurt Kuroko!  _MY MATE!_ " His hands went to his head, frustration and fury swirled within him like a storm. His head throbbed with rage, eyes clenched shut and mouth swallowed gulps of air to forcefully cool himself down. He couldn't breathe properly, his hands were trembling. His mind was in absolute chaos.

 _Kuroko, Kuroko, Kuroko. Be safe. Be safe. Please, be safe._  He begged and pleaded desperately, silently in his mind. He could do nothing but that, right now. Pathetic.

Midorima was observing him, eerily quiet.

"Kagami, we must seek Aomine. He knows where Kuroko is held captive. Momoi has offered to meet up — I already told her I'm presently staying at your place. We can go there, immediately. We may be able to find out more from her." He told him calmly.

Kagami withdrew his hands slowly, and swallowed, glancing at Midorima and taking in a final deep breath. " … I got it. We'll go, as soon as possible."

It was already midday, Kagami spared no time, he grabbed his jacked and threw it on. Then gathered his keys and wallet from the kitchen counter — noticing a few new inboxes and missed calls when he picked up his phone. He stopped in his track and opened the new messages, they were from Coach, Fukuda and the rest of the Seirin team. They mentioned Furihata called them and informed them of his and Kuroko's situation. Kagami furrowed his eyebrows, Furihata had apparently told the rest of the team and it caused a panic.

He tried to text them as fast as he could, telling them briefly what he learned so far. He also told them he got a lead to find Kuroko, and was going to pursue it. After he pressed send message to his teammates, he pocketed the phone inside of his jacket, with the keys and wallet. He looked over at Midorima and Takao, and found they were arguing across the room, near the entrance.

"Takao, go home. This is not negotiable! This can be dangerous, do you understand that?" He heard Midorima say, voice raised higher than usual.

In retort, Takao was insistent and stubborn. "What the hell, Midorima!? That's exactly why I'm going with you! You think I'm gonna let my mate throw himself into the line of fire and do nothing!? What do you take me for, a fucking coward? _Fuck that._  I'm going, Shin-chan! I don't care if you say no!" He exclaimed loudly, face twisted in irritation.

Midorima's expression lost its cool, eyebrows furrowing deeply and face scrunching. "Don't be unreasonable! How do you think I would feel if I put you in danger? Takao, just go home and wait for me!"

" _No!_ " The shorter boy snapped at him, glaring. "I can take care of myself, Shin-chan. I don't have a fucking idea why you think I need your help to protect myself. I'm not made of glass! I don't wanna stay at home and wait while you're out there, playing secret agent with that crazy Organization! I don't wanna see you come home like that day, not again! I'd rather be beaten to a pulp than see you like that!"

Midorima looked taken aback, at loss of words. Kagami looked at Takao, unsure what he was talking about. Did something happen to them? Kagami didn't think it was his place to ask, so he stayed quiet, pretending he didn't hear anything as he walked towards the arguing couple.

"Hey, Midorima. Why not let him go with us?" Kagami started, carefully. "I mean, he knows about a lot of things already. Since he's here, why not let him tag along all the way? We're not going to fight anyone."

"That's what you think, Kagami. How simple, you are." Midorima snorted derisively.

"That Organization employs an army of bodyguards, if they discovered that we're trying to oppose them, they'll just send them right at us. Do you understand that? They would even assault innocent people they'd kidnapped. There is no real assurance that they wouldn't attack  _us_ , too. I am  _not_  taking Takao along. This is not negotiable — "

Before he could finish his sentence, Takao slapped Midorima across his face.

Kagami could only stare and gape, just as shocked as Midorima was.

"Midorima, you fucking idiot. I'm not a fucking girl." Takao growled deeply, withdrawing his hand. The palm reddened from the impact of the slap. "I don't need to be protected. I want to protect  _you_. You four-eyed idiot."

Midorima had a hand over the flushed mark on his left cheek, eyes widened behind the lenses, lips parted slightly. He seemed surprised by the unexpected slap, blinking a few times. Kagami stared, practically drowning in the awkward air. It felt way worse, as a third wheel in their two-person argument. He just stood there awkwardly, staring at both of them locking eyes in a long, heavy silence.

"Takao — "

A ring.

Kagami, on habit, fished out his phone, thinking someone had texted him back. But found the cellphone still and silent in his hand.

"It's mine." He heard Midorima say, looking up at the Shuutoku Ace pressing his phone against his ear. Takao still stood in front of him, crossing his arms defiantly. Midorima's face lit up in a mix of delight and surprise, jade eyes widened behind the glass lenses, his reddened cheek and previous argument forgotten.

"Akashi — ? What's going on — why are you calling? I thought you were busy in Hong Kong —  _aah_ , I see. I see."

He turned and glanced at Kagami then Takao, gesturing towards the entrance. Kagami nodded, and Midorima went out of the flat, both Kagami and Takao following him. He locked the door of his flat and they waited by the front door, whilst Midorima went on talking to his phone, facing a wall. The call only lasted for a few minutes, before the green-eyed teen ended the call, turning to them.

"Akashi told me he's on a flight home — said something about an important friend sending him urgent messages of some sort. He'll be back in Tokyo within a few hours." Midorima informed them, sounding relieved. "This is good news. He said he'd help us find Kuroko. He's very concerned."

Before Kagami could respond to him, Takao had stepped forward.

"Shin-chan, I'm not leaving you with this. I'm going." He declared boldly.

Midorima looked at Takao quietly. A few seconds later, he sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. I can't seem to convince you otherwise. You may come along, Takao. But the first sign things are turning violent, you  _stay away_  from it. Understand?" He warned, pointing a finger at his mate.

Takao grinned widely.

" _Nope_. No promises!" He remarked shamelessly.

Midorima face palmed, drawing a long, pained sigh. Kagami held himself back from laughing, his cheeks puffed up with air and he covered his mouth — this was just funny.

To save time, they hailed a cab to go to where Momoi would be waiting for them, around the neighborhood of Touou. Kagami sat in the passenger seat while Takao sat in front this time, leaving him alone with Midorima to discuss their plans. Kagami received texts from his Seirin teammates asking about what he had found out, he replied to them while Midorima was also texting Momoi. Kagami tentatively glanced at the front seat, towards Takao, now silent and no longer openly disobedient.

His mind strayed towards the contents of their argument — something about it bothered Kagami. He could've sworn the argument had something to do with the blasted Organization again, Takao even mentioned something like that earlier.

"Hey, Midorima. What was that all about? Back in my flat — when you were arguing, Takao mentioned something about the Organization, didn't he? What happened there?" He asked, in a whisper, leaning slightly towards the stoic teen next to him.

Midorima visibly stiffened, then summarily avoided Kagami's gaze.

"It's nothing you should be concerned with." He dismissed quickly, shrugging.

"They tried to break up Shin-chan and me." Takao suddenly said, peeking over his shoulder. His expression was hard. "When we started dating, the Organization found out about it. They took Shin-chan for one of their so-called 'discussions'. Shin-chan didn't come to school for two days, I was fucking worried out of my mind."

"Wh - what?" Kagami stammered, he didn't expect such a revelation. Midorima was taken by the Organization as well, just like they'd taken Kuroko?

" _Takao_." Midorima glared at his mate. But Takao shook his head.

"No, Shin-chan. I'm telling Kagami. This is so fucked up. First you, then Kuroko. Who else they gonna ruin for good? They're fucking  _nuts_." Takao snarled angrily.

Kagami stared at Midorima, unsure what he should say about this. "What did they do? You didn't mention anything about this."

"Unfortunately, I wasn't taken to their secret hospital, if that's what you want to know. It's simply unimportant to mention — there isn't anything informative enough that I could add to these circumstances." Midorima sighed, eyebrows furrowed. His gaze was hollow, as he stared at the scenery beyond the window. "Besides, I had expected they would intervene. I was prepared for it. I made a deal with them, so they'd stay away from Takao and leave us be."

Kagami could hear the dark growls coming from the usually bright Takao. He was infuriated, eyes flared red, blood veins decorating the whites of his eyes. The form of a jackal loomed over him, menacing. "They forced Shin-chan to be a Sperm Donor — because Shin-chan rejected the Mating Offers. Fucking bastards. I swear I'll fucking tear them apart if I see 'em."

"I merely …  _donate_  my sperm, periodically. That is apparently enough to sate their incessant need to save the world from our extinction." Midorima smiled bitterly. "It's a clean cut deal. And the only children I will recognize, are the ones I am going to have with Takao. They can do whatever they want with the rest."

Takao fell quiet.

"… Shin-chan, I'm never going to forgive them for using you like this. Never."

"I know, Takao."

Midorima simply said.

Kagami clamped his mouth shut. He wondered whether that was the reason why Midorima and Takao wanted to have children so soon, because they couldn't stand the fact that Midorima might be fathering illegitimate kids, somewhere out there, without their knowledge? Kagami hadn't been in this country for a long time, he hadn't known the situation would be so dire with the issue of Endangered Species in Japan.

In the United States, the preservation of Endangered Species was dealt with more openly and ethically, as far as he knew. His father and mother would sometimes talk about the issues during dinner. There was no such thing as harassment or forced sperm donation in the United States, things like that would be declared a violation of human rights and the Organization responsible would be brought to the court, with high chances of disbandment, or worse. How could things be so different here? This was fucked up.

Kagami had to get Kuroko back, no matter what. By any means necessary.

He fingered his phone in his hands, Kagami wondered whether he should contact his parents. He clenched his teeth and started swiping the screen, opening the new email draft window. A few minutes after typing, he pressed send and pocketed his phone. That would be enough, for now.

After about fifteen minutes by cab, they arrived in Touou.

The neighborhood was unfamiliar to Kagami, so he relied on Midorima to direct the driver to the right place. From the highway they went to smaller roads until they reached the front gate of Touou High, getting out of the car and paying for the fare. Midorima was busy with his phone, presumably to contact Momoi, while Kagami looked around. The school compound was reasonably empty on Sunday, it was the first time he'd been to Touou — the school didn't seem as impressive nor big as Kaijō was.

They stood around for a bit, Midorima had pressed the phone against his ear, calling Momoi. After a while, Kagami began to feel something was off — the one who'd offered to meet up had been the manager, yet she didn't seem to be around the rendezvous point. Where was she? Kagami knew Momoi liked Kuroko, she would do her best to help him if she knew Kuroko was in trouble. Something wasn't right.

" … Midorima, I'm gonna look around for a bit." He declared, looking over his shoulder towards Midorima and Takao.

The green-eyed teen nodded, phone still pressed against his ear, it looked like he couldn't get a hold of Momoi.

He didn't enter the school, instead, he trailed along the walls surrounding the compound, secretly shifting his senses to keener hearing. It was too quiet at first, vague noises of the streets and vehicles came from the horizon. A cat hissing. The sound of running water. Then Kagami increased the sensitivity, the volumes escalated, but he carefully threaded along the gaps between the strings, untangling the knots and separating the noises.

Kagami clenched his eyes shut and stopped in his tracks, concentrating.

It was a bit hard because normally such selective transformations required a lot of concentration to keep up for extensive periods of time — but he was sure he could hear something unsettling, behind the screen of distractions and unnecessary obstructions. Something that sounded familiar — someone.

" _No — …. chan!_ "

His ears perked up. What was it? Someone was yelling. Their tone desperate, laced with fear and distress. Anxious. Kagami had to focus to raise the volume, ignoring the rest of the sounds, reaching for that particular disruption.

" _No! Dai-chan! Let him go!_ "

" _Shit — ! Satsuki, back off! You, stay away from her! Don't fucking touch her!_ "

" _Young Master Daiki, the Director is expecting you._ "

Oh, fucker.

Kagami didn't waste time to start sprinting, halfway transforming his legs to increase his speed, kicking off the ground with as much force as he could while paying attention to the voices to guide him. He knew where he had to go, relying on instinct. When he came to an intersection, he had to grind his soles into the ground hard, turning sharply. He could hear Momoi's voice brake and grow even more desperate, she was crying, and Aomine's own voice became strangely muffled, rapidly quieting at an alarming pace. He could hear traces of disobedience, fading away.

Shit, shit, shit. He had to go  _faster_.

He unzipped his jacket and pulled it off. He let his beastly side slide into his consciousness, and the giant tiger eagerly clawed through the transparent walls of his psyche and entered, roaring thunderously, resonating throughout his being and setting his entire body ablaze. His jeans tore, long rips made their way down his legs, seams torn apart with loud pops. His enlarged muscles cut straight through the fabric of his jeans, thickened with coarse fur. His claws extended, piercing through the shoes, stitching bursting with the change of muscles and extended bones.

His eyes seared, everything became sharper, minute details didn't escape his notice until he saw, a few hundred meters ahead of him, three black sedans and five men in black suits. His vision focused on a singular spot.

A pink-haired girl was being held back by one of them, hands desperately reaching for something, tears streaming down her cheeks. Two men restrained a blue-haired teen from behind — halfway transformed into a black werepanther — another was pressing a white cloth over his mouth and nose. Aomine was oddly submissive, head hung and lowered, his body listless in their hold.

Kagami roared.

The men were momentarily petrified into standing still, shocked. Kagami took advantage of the moment and leaped forward, the sleeves of his shirt and the fabric across his torso was torn from the transformation, feet kicked off the ground, landing on top of nearest sedan with heavy pressure. The car bobbed and clattered beneath him, a few times, his claws scrapped against the metallic surface sharply, the paint peeling off in long trails. Kagami loomed over the men who'd restrained Aomine, he grabbed a handful of the back of the suit from one of them and tugged hard.

In shock, the man loosened his grip on Aomine as a strong force pulled his entire weight upwards. Kagami's biceps strained stiff as he pulled and flung the tall man aside with all his might — the man flew five meters off to the right and hit the cemented road — then Kagami slammed his fist to the tender spot over the nape of the other. Strong enough to incapacitate, but not enough to be fatal. The bodyguard slumped down, unconscious, Kagami snatched Aomine's arm before the latter fell to the ground.

Shocked gasps filled the air, the rest of them were recovering from their initial shock, pointing guns at Kagami, trembling.

Kagami snarled, low rumbles resonated throughout his lungs. He released his aura, his scent scorched the air dry and hot, radiating feverish contempt. He could hear footsteps, amidst the bottled up rage that was slowly leaking out of its container, unrestrained. With the lack of human rationality, the fury and frustration that had been lurking just below the surface for days was finally unleashed, uncontrollable. The beast took charge of his mind, and Kagami gladly gave it away. His transformation was fully complete now.

" _You people took my mate away from me_." He barked out and roared deeply, until the car beneath him rattled, and the men shook with fear. Kagami grinned, baring his fangs in satisfaction. Euphoria and adrenaline mingled and rushed up to his head, clouding his judgment, sweeping away what was left of his humanity.

"I'm gonna rip you all apart.  _Nothing_  will be left of you, but bones and blood and pieces of meat that even dogs won't eat."

The rage burned, blackened and deep. He didn't know how to stop it — nor did he want to.

He let go of Aomine, and the unconscious boy slumped down, Momoi quickly rushed towards him, having been released after the bodyguard loosened his grip on her.

"Dai-chan! Dai-chan! Wake up, Dai-chan! He's unconscious… he's been drugged… Dai-chan…" She tearfully said, cradling Aomine in her arms. She hugged his head close and wept, small shoulders trembling with fear.

So many people suffered because of their meddling — not only was Kuroko taken from Kagami, but also their friends' happiness, torn asunder just to fuel their selfish goals. Unforgivable.

He roared, deep and long and thunderous, and the men fell to their knees, shaking. The guns clattered to the ground, scattered around them.

Kagami jumped, his feet landed on the cement, body bent forwards. He shielded both Aomine and Momoi behind his back, as he rose up, arms spread. His claws made cracking noise as he flexed the joints, stalking forward, slowly and menacingly. The fearful looks on their faces and the white of their complexion — it roused twisted gratification within him. The beast in him laughed boomingly, the killing instincts soared. His eyes gazed at the large tendons of their necks, he could hear the faint rush of blood within the jugular veins, waiting for him to sink his fangs in, to chew the bones and tear the flesh.

The voices were deafened in his ears, all he focused on was the sound of rushing blood and the rapid acceleration of his preys' hearts. He smelled the fear and the anxiety, catching the foul smell of urine from one of them. He knew at that moment, Kagami was no longer Kagami, he was a beast, the Tiger within him.

And the Tiger wanted its prey.

He stepped forward, the man in front of him squeaked, grey eyes looked at him fearfully, the sunglasses he wore were crooked. Beads of sweat trickled down his pale face, his mouth hung agape, lips shaking. The front of his crotch was soaked, foul stench rose up from the large, wet blots. The tiger flexed his claws and raised them up.

Then something hit him across the face, hard.

Kagami blinked. The right side of his face stung feverishly, and he had no idea what just happened.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He heard a familiar stern voice tell him. Kagami glanced to his right, and found a pair of green eyes glaring at him, his fist hanging in midair.

"Get a hold of yourself. We're not here to hunt these people. They are only hired soldiers, not the Organization itself, you idiot. You're scaring Momoi, stop that." He coldly dismissed him, withdrawing his hand.

Kagami inhaled sharply, a little bit of his humane rationality returned to him, brought by the impact of Midorima's punch. He looked over his shoulder and noticed Momoi was staring at him, face pale. Takao was kneeling next to her, taking Aomine's arm and flinging it to his shoulder.

Kagami clenched his jaw tightly. He whipped around to face the cowering men, growling deep and harsh.

"If I see you again, you're fucking dead.  _Scram!_ " He barked out, voice thick with rage, baring his fangs and flexing his claws.

The men jerked and scampered about to stand and run, one of them went to their unconscious friend and carried him by the shoulder, leaving the scene immediately with staggering steps. The black sedans were abandoned, empty. After they'd all vanished from sight, Kagami inhaled deeply and withdrew the transformation, attempting to cool down as quickly as he could.

When he was once again completely human, he noticed most of his clothes had torn apart and only the bits of what was left of his jeans covered his crotch and backside like frayed shorts, barely clinging to his hips. His jacket was lying on the road, near one of the sedans.

Midorima grimaced, took off his trench coat and handed it to him. "Cover yourself, how shameful." He commented harshly, looking disgusted.

"I — I know, geez. It can't be helped, okay? Those guys were about to do stuff to Aomine." Kagami snarled, he threw on the coat quickly before the jeans finally gave up on him only for Kagami to flash someone unintentionally. That would be mortifying.

"You did too much. I could feel your murderous aura for a minute there." Midorima said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Didn't your parents tell you, 'never give in to the beast'? Fool." Takao and Momoi walked towards them, an unconscious Aomine in toll.

Kagami stiffened. Even now he could hear the tiger roaring, displeased, for having been forcefully shoved back in. If Midorima hadn't intervened, Kagami would have lost any trace of humanity and let the beast run rampant. He shuddered to think of the possibility. A complete transformation was unstable and dangerous. All he could say to defend himself, was that he'd been bottling up all the anger and frustration within him and when he'd found something to direct it at — he'd lost control.

"Yeah. Got it. I'll never do that again." Kagami solemnly said, nodding.

Midorima went to replace Momoi, carrying Aomine under the shoulder. The pink-haired girl approached Kagami, no longer crying but streaks of dried tears were apparent on her face. Her hair was a little messy. "Kagamin, thank you for helping me! For Dai-chan — Aomine-kun, too." She politely said, bowing.

"Nah. It's alright, sorry for scaring you." Kagami awkwardly said. God he'd even scared Momoi, Kuroko would scold him again. "But seriously though, what was that all about? Isn't Aomine their boss' nephew or something? They looked they were going to kidnap him — and what's with the drug?" He asked, in a belated realization.

Momoi fidgeted anxiously. "That's right Kagamin. Aomine-kun wants to help Tetsu-kun and Furihata-kun escape, but then Tetsu-kun told him they've taken Ki-chan's mate to the institution. His uncle found out that he's been trying to help them. Aomine-kun was trying to get to his grandfather's place — he was meeting me here. They caught up with him."

"Wait, uh." It took a moment for Kagami to know who she was talking about. "This  _Ki-chan_  is … Kise? They've taken Kise's mate?"

Momoi nodded vigorously. "Ki-chan's mate is pregnant. But that's what makes it worse — Aomine-kun said that's the reason why they kidnapped Ki-chan's mate!  _It's horrible!_  Oh, Tetsu-kun, I can't believe they're doing this to him!" Her eyes welled up, she tried rubbing her eyes and steadying her voice. "They did it to lure Ki-chan to their place and… and…"

"And what? What's happening to Kuroko!?" Kagami grabbed her small shoulders and shook her a bit roughly.

She looked surprised, choking back sobs. But continued. "They… they're going to force Ki-chan and Tetsu-kun to mate…!"

It was if the earth opened up and swallowed him whole.

"What…?" Kagami loosened his grip and staggered back. His head spun and the words felt like ice as it sank into his mind, processing it at a cruel pace. "Kise and Kuroko… forced mating…?" He mouthed the words as if they were foul, poisonous. Like the fury, spreading like a disease, burning trails of blazing fire.

Something rang, breaking the horrifying revelation with a distraction. Kagami whipped his head towards the source, mind still blank. His heart was beating loudly in his ears.

"Hello? Midorima speaking." Midorima pressed his phone against his ear, then everything fell to silence once again. Aomine was still unconscious, eyes closed and body limp, Takao carried half of his weight next to him. Green eyes glanced at Momoi then Kagami, lips stiff.

"Akashi has landed."

—

TBC.

—


	10. Ensemble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’ve been busy lately, sorry that I haven’t updated **SK**! I had work deadlines to catch up on. (^^;) Anyhow, thank you for the amazing support as always! The comments are very interesting, to say the least. lol Though there won’t be actual murders (this is not the kind of story where people can get away with murder, folks), there will be some actions! :-3 And uh, a bit of politics. This chapter takes longer to write because I have a lot of things I wanna add into it, and I wanted to take it slow and analyse everything, interpret it so things make sense but easy to understand. Man, politics can be a pain. 
> 
> Anyway, the last appearance of _Weremanity Glossary_! Woot!
> 
> Latest Chapter is edited and proofed by KC!

—

**Weremanity Glossary**

Returner to Ancestry: Also known as Retrograde. A Werechild born from an uncanny reunion between a Wereperson and a Primate, that normally would be nearly impossible. Not much is known about this premium species, because their numbers are extremely few, thus the public's knowledge of them are either exaggerated or simply lacking. They say, Returners to Ancestry possess powers greater than that of Heavy Seeds species. And although their Pheromone and Fertility levels are in fact, rated among the highest levels in the Weremanity Seeds hierarchy, but the claim that they may be stronger, is debatable at most.

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 10: Ensemble

—

"Akashi is expecting us."

Kagami was halfway pulling down his shirt when Midorima appeared by the door of his bedroom, standing with arms crossed over his chest. Kagami glanced at him over his shoulder, and made a noncommittal sound, then resumed, turning only after he was fully clothed. He wondered whether he'd need a change of clothes, should the situation turn sour again at some point. It would be troublesome if his clothes got ripped again.

"Yeah, I know. How's Aomine?" He asked, eying the stacks of shirts and jeans in the wardrobe, two fingers brushing along the spines of the row.

"He's woken up. Still rather disoriented, leftover effects of the sedative. Momoi and Takao are watching over him as we speak." Midorima simply told him, nudging up the rim of his glasses. "Akashi is sending a car to pick us up in fifteen minutes, be sure to prepare everything before departure."

Kagami bent his body and kneeled, hands rummaging through the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. His fingers found a flattened sling bag stuck in the inner corners of the lower-middle tier, then Kagami took it out, patting the fine dust off of its surface. It wasn't too big, but enough to suit his current needs.

"Got it." He said, peeling apart the unzipped opening.

Midorima left him alone, as Kagami started putting a few sweatshirts, boxers and two sets of jeans into the bag, enough to last him a few days. He had school tomorrow, he knew, but Kagami wouldn't stop now. Not when they finally had Aomine, the one person who could bring him to Kuroko. Kagami was determined to find his mate, then make do with his promise to be with Kuroko whenever he needed him, this time for sure.

Kagami would do anything to make that real, to have Kuroko in his arms once again, feel his skin against his own and hear his sweet voice.

"Kuroko, I'm coming to you." He murmured to himself, clenching his jaw.

He zipped up the bag and gathered the handles, keys, wallet and cellphone pocketed in his jeans. Kagami made sure everything was ready, before heading into the living room. He stopped, before closing the wardrobe, as he spotted a shirt Kuroko had left behind the time he'd stayed over. Kagami had laundered the shirt, now sitting on top of the shortened stack of shirts. He reached out and took it in his hands. Kagami gazed longingly at it, then he brought it closer, breathing deeply into the soft fabric.

He could smell the faint scent of Kuroko, barely there, behind a layer of detergent. Kagami withdrew, unzipped the bag and put the shirt inside. Maybe he could return it to Kuroko the next time they met. It was another goal to fulfill.

He went out of the room, finding Momoi, Takao and a sluggish-looking Aomine sitting on the couch, the latter in the middle. Midorima was standing in front of them, asking questions that Aomine stammered to answer, seemingly still reeling from the drugs' effects. Kagami went to the kitchen area to grab a bottled water from the fridge, feeling the need to take it along with him, just in case.

"How's he, Midorima?" Kagami asked, as he walked towards the foursome. It had only been over an hour since Aomine was drugged with sedative, given the fact the he'd woken up too quickly, the drug must still be thick in his system.

Jade green eyes glanced at him.

"As I've mentioned previously, he's still disoriented. He can barely answer questions, presently. The sedative must leave his system first, before we can start getting information out of him." He explained, coolly. "In the mean time, we can rely on what Momoi knows. Aomine has told her a portion of the Organization's intentions, including Kise and Kuroko's forced mating plans. I believe it will be enough to supply to Akashi."

Momoi gave him a cheerful smile and vigorous nods, whilst holding Aomine steady by the shoulder. Next to her, Aomine was burying his face into his hands, groaning and complaining of a headache. He assumed it was part of the side effects of waking up from sedated slumber too quickly. Aomine seemed as if he was heavily hung over.

"Wait, we're really involving Akashi in this? Seriously?" Kagami asked, hesitant. He'd rather not have to deal with that psycho, in all honesty.

Midorima actually snorted at that.

"Of course. What, do you think we're just going to barge into the doors of the Organization's Hospital like a bunch of brutes? We need to come up with a proper strategy, Kagami. Just because you scared off a bunch of Middle Seed bodyguards, doesn't mean you can take on a plethora of them by yourself.  _Honestly_." He scoffed, matter-of-factly, shaking his head.

"There is no better person to ask for assistance. Akashi is well informed and in possession of various resources, more so than I. It's only to be expected, that he would be the best person to go to, under these circumstances. Just the five of us won't do."

Kagami flushed in annoyance, irritated at how Midorima had summarily treated him like a muscle-brained  _dumbass_. Dammit, he had to admit the four-eyed bastard was right. Akashi was smart, so was Midorima, with both brains combined, he'd be the idiot to refuse their help. All Kagami could do was rely on their intelligence and resourcefulness — compromised with them until he got Kuroko back.

"Fine. I'll go with what you guys think is best." He said, resigned. This was for Kuroko, Kagami reminded himself. "But the first chance I can go to Kuroko, don't stop me. I'm not sitting out while there's a chance Kuroko might be in danger again. I'm only compromising now, because I promised him I wouldn't be reckless." Kagami warned, growling deeply. He would hold back for now, being angry wouldn't bring back his mate.

Midorima swallowed, the hard line of his jaw tightened. "I won't stop you."

"Then, we're good." He said, satisfied.

Kagami looked at the bottled water in his hand, before handing it to Momoi. "Here. He needs to get the drug out of his system, right? He should drink more."

"Thanks, Kagamin. Here, Dai-chan, drink it slowly." Momoi whispered softly, uncapping the bottled water for her mate to drink. Aomine took it gingerly, then started drinking, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Then he muttered a groaned thanks, a hand swept over his mouth. His complexion was pale.

Midorima watched them quietly. "Akashi's driver will arrive in five minutes. Make sure you have everything prepared, before then." He informed them, Kagami felt like Midorima specifically directing it to him since he'd lost his clothes the last time they went for a seemingly harmless outing. Geez, it was just that one time.

Kagami put on his jacket, before the group went out and after Midorima declared the driver had arrived and was waiting downstairs in the building's parking lot basement. He didn't forget to make sure he'd shut down the kitchen appliances and locked the veranda sliding doors. Kagami had a feeling he wouldn't be home for a while. When they went downstairs, he found that Akashi had apparently sent exactly two cars to pick them up, seeing five people wouldn't fit one ordinary looking Camry.

Kagami took the front seat with Takao and Midorima on the back, while Momoi and Aomine took the other one. The driver even dressed fairly normally in plain button up shirts and trousers, not conspicuous like the Organization's foot soldiers with their black suits, sunglasses, black sedans and asshole attitudes. People would just think they were going out for a casual outing — smart, Kagami thought to himself, seeing there was a chance they could be followed after the Organization's fiasco attempt to kidnap Aomine.

The windows were tinted, but if people peered in closely enough they would be able to see the interior of the car, as it wasn't completely blacked out. Akashi apparently discouraged drawing too much attention. The strategy was simple and subtle, but effective. When they left the building, everything seemed normal, despite the fact Kagami had assaulted the Organization's bodyguards, just hour's prior.

Midorima was right; Akashi was the best person to ask for help — Kagami was glad they weren't on the redhead's bad side. If the Organization had someone like Akashi around, who'd know what would happen? He'd shuddered to think of the psycho running around playing Emperor of the Organization — Ugh, even now Kagami still cringed a bit whenever he saw a pair of red scissors.

—

The cars brought them to the bustling downtown of Shibuya, they took a turn and entered the lobby entrance of a luxury hotel compound. They climbed out of the cars and strode into the grand hall of the lobby, ushered in by uniformed staff.

As soon as he entered, Kagami was surprised at how artsy the hotel was, decorated with modern simplistic furniture, pop art inspired paintings and illustrations hung on the walls. The lobby was spacious and the ceilings were high — about three to four stories tall — with a rustic, yet stylish corkscrew staircase that spiraled up into the ceiling, large windows were set in a row in the lobby's waiting room, to allow plenty of sunlight in. An interesting concept. His mother would love to be there and check out what they had done with the rooms' design.

"Welcome to the Shibuya Grand Hotel. Are you Master Seijuurou's friends? He's expecting you in the Maisonette Suite." A middle-aged man in a formal suit greeted — snapping Kagami out of his daze — and bowed politely to them. He looked friendly, sort of fatherly. "Young Master Midorima, how have you been? I trust that you're well?" He asked and smiled, particularly to the green-haired teen.

"I'm quite alright, Sanada-san. However, the situation could be better. I hope to remedy the issue, as soon as possible." Midorima replied politely. Kagami was surprised that Midorima had actually sounded friendly. Friendlier than when he spoke to Kagami, at least.

"Yes, I've heard from the Young Master. Please follow me, I will bring you to him." The man named Sanada said, gesturing towards the elevator area.

He was Akashi's butler, Kagami realized as they followed the man into the elevator. Akashi actually had a butler following him around. How rich was he, really? Kuroko told him some things, but Kagami never actually thought about it for real before — his family was well off too, but they'd lived fairly normally so far. No special privileges beyond his allowances and a couple of things, his parents wanted him to enjoy life like a normal kid. Yet the butler acted as if Akashi were an adult already.

Midorima mentioned Akashi only recently returned from Hong Kong from a business trip with his father. How old was he again? Sixteen like Kagami, right? He was still in high school and supposedly went to classes like a normal kid, but instead he went to Hong Kong for business.

Okay, probably better that Kagami didn't think too much about it. The dude was creepy as fuck — he knew that much.

Sanada brought them to the highest level of the building, floor 30, guiding him into a two-storied Suite bedroom. The moment he entered the room, Kagami was greeted with the sight of a familiar looking corkscrew staircase painted pure white. There was a large king-sized bed on one side of the room, and a black LCD TV screen in a joint living room and kitchenette area. The whole thing was painted white, with black furniture accents. The living room area had high windows that overlooked Shibuya's busiest streets, an adjacent door led to the veranda.

But he noticed Akashi wasn't around. Momoi seemed ecstatic when she entered the room, she bounced inside as the butler closed the door behind them.

"Oh my god, Dai-chan, this room is so pretty! Look, look!" She tugged Aomine's arm then went ahead of the group, her cheeks flushing as pink as her hair, both hands cupping her face. She looked around, seemingly pleased with the interior. Aomine only scratched his head and said nothing, face scrunched up. Kagami thought it must be because his head was still hurting.

"Aah, this room is so romantic … I bet it's so expensive though. Oh, I can at least dream … " Momoi beamed, dreamy.

A chuckle.

Everyone turned their heads as Akashi appeared from the top of the stairs, descending at a slow, unhurried pace. He was wearing formal clothing — white button up shirt with a black vest, red tie and black trousers. "I'm pleased that you like it, Momoi. You're a young lady with good taste — do note that, Aomine." Akashi smiled elegantly, a hand delicately slid over the white rail as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Kagami looked at him, taken aback by how normal Akashi seemed to be.

"Forgive me for the wait. I was checking the upper level; the bathroom has the most amazing view, I must say. The bath tub is a perfect place to enjoy a leisurely night with a lover." He approached Momoi, taking her hand into his, and smiled at her gently. "How have you been? I haven't the time to catch up with my friends lately. You're as lovely as ever, Momoi. Aomine is a lucky man."

Momoi blushed. "Oh my, Akashi-kun, you're such a gentleman. You're making me blush!"

Whoa, what a smooth guy, Kagami mentally commented. He could use that line on Kuroko — and the Maisonette Suite. He had to admit, Akashi had good taste.

Aomine frowned. Kagami could hear angered snarls coming from the teen, when he barked out. "Mind your own goddamn business. Also, get your hands off her!"

"Dai-chan! Don't be rude to Akashi-kun! He's just being nice. I'm sorry Akashi-kun, Aomine-kun can be so rowdy." Momoi smiled apologetically at the redhead, cheeks still flushed lightly.

Akashi laughed pleasantly. "I do not mind. Please, do make yourself at home and take a seat. I will have Sanada prepare some drinks for you. We will discuss the situation shortly — I'd like to hear the whole story with detail. Sanada, please serve the guests." He said, gesturing to the living room, in which a set of white couches was arranged in a circle, surrounding an off-white coffee table.

"Yes, Young Master Sei." The old butler bowed.

So, all six of them sat on the couches, Akashi seated in a single sofa, while the rest huddled up in three or two. Kagami picked a spot next to Takao along with Midorima, Aomine sat with Momoi across of them. Sanada asked what they would like to drink first, Kagami chose black coffee to keep himself awake, Aomine had plain water while the rest had tea.

"So, I'd like to know the situation, exactly. Midorima has only told me a portion of what he heard from you, Kagami — about Kuroko being abducted by the Organization, a few days ago. Have you found anything useful with what I've sent you? I'm afraid my own knowledge of the Institution is limited." Akashi asked, his back leaned against the sofa casually, legs crossing. He had a clear glass of water in hand.

Midorima nodded.

"I've found brief information about the Hospital the Organization is affiliated with, it wasn't much, I'm afraid — but we did manage to find a connection between the institution and Aomine's family. We had intended to learn the location of the Hospital and perhaps more from him, however, during our attempt to meet Momoi — there was an unfortunate accident." He explained, nudging up the bridge of his glasses.

"Oh? Do explain. Ah, I also wish to know your side of the story as well, Kagami. If it is not much of a bother, I'd like to hear everything." Akashi urged gently, turning to Kagami.

The latter fidgeted a bit, he honestly didn't expect Akashi could be so polite and decent — not the scissor-holding maniac he'd encountered back at the Winter Cup. He brushed away the inane thoughts. Kagami had to focus on getting Kuroko back. He needed as much help as he could get. So he told Akashi and the rest of the group (Akashi, Momoi and Aomine really, since Takao and Midorima had already heard all of this), of the days he spent searching for Kuroko with Seirin, until the night Kuroko contacted him, he told them everything — except the dirty talk in the private conversation he had with Kuroko. That was for his ears only.

Everyone listened quietly, even Aomine, who seemed quieter than usual.

After he'd finished his side of the story, Midorima started telling his. He explained the things he found out in his research and the lack of information — which later was filled in by Momoi, providing them what Aomine told her, meanwhile the latter would interrupt every once in a while, to correct her and straighten up some facts.

Momoi then explained that Kuroko and Furihata had been attacked by some of the more corrupt staff of the institution. Kuroko was uninjured because Aomine arrived at the scene in time and drove away the culprit, but the incident left Furihata bedridden with wounds — everyone suddenly fell quiet when Akashi's glass  _shattered_  in his grip, all heads turned and mouths agape at the redheaded Lion.

" … do excuse me. It seemed that I've gripped the glass a bit too hard." He apologized, smiling. Kagami could've sworn he saw one of Akashi's eyes turned golden, before both of them closed into slits. His hand wasn't injured, but wet, water dripping onto the floor below. "Please, continue. I'll have my staff clean up the mess."

Momoi reluctantly continued her story, seemingly confused like the rest of them.

After a moment, Aomine was well enough to begin explaining the internal details of the institution. He told of his grandfather, and his uncle who took over the position of Director by pitting the Boards of Directors of the Organization against the Former Director. And now his uncle was free to proceed with his radical methods, determined to raise the population of the Endangered Species by any means necessary, due to the problems the institution has encountered over the years

" … I must admit, we're on the verge of losing the hospital. Never mind that we've been the owner for generations." Aomine told them, gaze downcast.

"The Organization — and the Board of Directors gave us an ultimatum a while back; if we can't find a way to raise the population of the Endangered Species and provide hard results, they'll find someone else who can. Uncle is desperate — that hospital, that institution is everything to our family. To him, it's the legacy. He thinks gramps' too lenient with his methods — so he's been secretly doing all sorts of suspicious deals for the past few years, including the blackmail and the harassment. There are more questionable people hired into our ranks, too."

Kagami glanced at Midorima and Takao, both had hard looks on their faces. Takao was holding Midorima's hand in the taller man's lap, frowning. The latter only stared at his mate, quiet.

"I know about all of this, but I can't do anything about it. I'm third line in for succession, but I don't really care all that much. Besides, I'm just a brat. Uncle's different, he's practically been raised all his life to be the Director, to inherit the hospital and the legacy of our family. He'll be damned if he lost it from right under his nose, while it is under his control. A lot of people think he's ruthless — but he's just desperate. I've seen him change with the pressure they put on him over the years, from a good man into a tyrant. He wasn't always like that. He was … one of the best guys I knew."

Aomine clenched his jaw, fists balled in his lap. "But I guess … he's not that guy anymore."

"Dai-chan … " Momoi murmured, eyes glazed wet as she put her hand over Aomine's balled fist. Aomine flipped his hand and laced their fingers, sighing deeply.

"But, it's too much. This time, he's gone too far — he's dragging completely innocent people into our family affairs, forcing them to do things 'in the name of greater good' — it's wrong. Even I know that much. When I discovered they even kidnapped Tetsu and dragged that kid along — I tried to convince him to let them go, but he wouldn't relent, said he's found a gold mine to save our family. He's too stubborn — the crazed look on his face when he said all that stuff. I don't think he'll give up so easily."

Kagami caught Aomine's glance linger towards his direction, for no apparent reason.

"A gold mine…?" Akashi, who'd been listening quietly, remarked. "Care to elaborate on that? Is this regarding the reason why Kuroko has been held captive for so long? You have not mentioned the reason behind the abduction. If I recall correctly — Kuroko is still living with his parents, there is no need for the institution to put him under their care."

"That's right. Why the hell are they still keeping him there along with Furihata? Why won't they let him go? Why the fuck are they planning to force mate him with Kise!?" Kagami barked out, demanding a bit too brusquely. He could feel the temper rising up into his head.

Midorima shot him a cold glare. "Calm yourself, Kagami, and sit down. You're disrupting the discussion."

Kagami hadn't realized he'd risen from his seat. Growling in displeasure, he flopped down again and glared at Midorima, who ignored him. "Fine. Go on."

Aomine inhaled. " … Kagami, you know already right? Tetsu's an Arctic Fox Retrograde."

Both Momoi and Akashi shot him wide-eyed glances, surprised, but the rest of them had already known of this and remained completely calm.

"Yeah, I do. What of it?" Kagami said, raising an eyebrow.

"…  _aah_ , I see." Akashi suddenly said, a hand cupped his chin in contemplation as his gaze lowered, seemingly enlightened. "I see. That makes a lot of sense, actually."

Kagami looked at him weirdly. "What? What the hell do you mean?"

Akashi calmly shifted in his seat, uncrossing his legs. His body leaned forward, back slightly bent. "I'm afraid, Kagami, this may upset you further, but since you want to know more, as Kuroko's mate — you may want to brace yourself." Akashi warned him.

Kagami felt slightly nervous, swallowing, and nodded.

Akashi inhaled. "I can deduce the reason why Kuroko is being kept captive in the institution and why Aomine's uncle absolutely refuses to let him go. You see, Endangered Species are known to be difficult to breed because not only are their fertility rates extremely low, they tend to be frail in body, as well. Many cannot produce more than one or two offspring in their lifetime, due to their failing health. Kise is one of the luckier ones to possess excellent constitution. However, he is a Heavy Seed Endangered Species. Theoretically, he is even less fertile than say, a Middle Seed or Light Seed Endangered Species."

The redhead explained, tone firm. He was tapping a finger on his lips lightly.

"Imagine this. An Arctic Fox, a breed that was officially declared to be extinct in Japan some fifty years ago, suddenly reappeared, possessing the most desirable traits in a Wereperson; good health, high level of fertility and prestigious breed. He's also young. Simply put, it won't be hard for Kuroko to repopulate the Arctic Fox breed in Japan, no matter whom he'll mate with. That's where Kise comes in — A dying wolf breed in desperate need of repopulation, yet possesses the least chance of success."

As Kagami heard Akashi's explanation, dark nausea started swirling within the pit of his belly, the redhead's words dipped into his mind, slowly, threads of realization connecting the dots.

"Combined with Kuroko's advantageous traits, they'd be able to increase the population of the wolves, or resurrect the Arctic Fox breed in Japan. Either way, the offspring will be born while inheriting Kuroko's Retrograde traits. For the Organization, it's a win-win situation. Aomine's uncle will claim the credit and his family will be able to keep their legacy. In short, it's an assured victory." Akashi concluded. "Am I wrong, Aomine?"

Aomine clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head. "No… you got it all right, Akashi. That's true. That's what I figured out — that's why they kidnapped Kise's pregnant mate, even though they don't know if the kid is a wolf cub. It was all in order to lure Kise to the institution — everything —  _everything_  is getting out of hand." He gritted his teeth, burying his face into his hands.

" _They're going to use Kuroko like a tool._ " Kagami worded every single thing, like it was venom. The dark swirls were blackened deeply, as if burnt. He had difficulty breathing, because the scorching heat bubbling up within him, hot and dry, was burning the air in his lungs. His heart was accelerating in the ribcage, pounding in his ears.

"Like he's nothing but a fucking baby-producing machine. Like he's not even human — like he's a fucking goddamn, cold, emotionless breeding tool. All for their own fucking selfish goals."

Kagami could feel his blood boiling. His skin pricked with coarse fur growing out of his pores, and his claws grazed against the surface of the couch, minuscule tears appeared in thin tracks. Midorima stared at him, but didn't try to stop him like he had before — as if he understood the surge of rage Kagami felt within him. Takao wasn't looking at Kagami, but his own expression darkened considerably.

"Oh, we won't let them, of course." Akashi suddenly said, with perfect composure. His unusual calmness made Kagami look at him, distracted from his rising fury.

"We're here to discuss a proper solution, Kagami. Aomine is sitting here, with us, because he thinks his uncle's methods have gone too far. We're all here to prevent such a horrible fate from befalling Kuroko and Kise — No. I will not allow it." Akashi's lips dropped to a frown, then he turned to Aomine. "I apologize for this, Aomine, but it seems to me that we have no choice but to go against your uncle — your family's best interests. Will you object?"

Aomine fell quiet for a short moment. " … No. Not when they've even involved Tetsu. I can't let them do whatever they want with him. Who knows how many more people will be involved in this if I let this go? Whatever you're planning to do Akashi, I'm in. As long as you can get Tetsu and Kise, and everyone else, out of there. I — I'm not strong enough to do that myself, I'll admit that."

"I see. Then I won't hold back, Aomine." Akashi said, sternly. "Any other objections? I am open for discussions and I'd like to know what you all think."

Momoi only shook her head, her eyes glazed. Midorima and Takao exchanged looks.

"None. I wanna see them punished for what they did to Shin-chan. What they're doing to Kuroko is unforgivable, too." Takao growled deeply, eyes flashing angrily.

"I will not object, either." Midorima stated calmly.

Akashi turned to him. "What about you, Kagami?"

Kagami's fit of fury had dissipated by then, his attention fully diverted into the idea of solving the problem.

" … I want Kuroko back. It doesn't matter how — I'll do anything. I'll go with whatever you're planning, if that means you'll bring me to him." Kagami declared, firmly. He had no hesitation — he'd get Kuroko back, even if it was the last thing he'd do.

"Then, we have come to an agreement." Akashi smiled assuring, laced hands placed over his knee.

"With all the information that all of you have graciously contributed, I have thought of a few things. It is nothing fancy, I'm afraid, however this plan has the possibility of assuring all of captured victims' freedom, even after their release. Hopefully, there will be no need of such crude methods in the future. This, however, will require a change in leadership within the institution, then perhaps in the future, a complete reconstruction of the institution's structure with a new regime — weed out the foul and corrupted, as it were."

Akashi's crimson gaze trailed across the group.

"So, I would like to suggest, a Counter Coup D'état."

The rest of the group summarily fell silent, numerous eyes widened and lips parted.

"Counter … Coup D'état?" Takao was the first to say something, seemingly dumbfounded and confused.

Akashi nodded.

"Yes, to put it simply, we will endeavor to regain control for the Former Director — Aomine's grandfather. As I recall, Director Aomine Daisuke is quite influential and popular within the high society. In fact, my father has spoken with him several times at various social events. I, myself, have heard nothing but good things about him; he must have a lot of supporters. All I had known until now, was the official news that had been released to the public, that his retirement was due to illness. However, now I know its fabricated news to cover up the unsavory truth."

Aomine looked at Akashi in disbelief. "But my uncle has the Board of Directors backing him up. Gramps is on house arrest right now, he's guarded by Uncle's bodyguards."

"Ah, yes. But you did mention something about suspicious activities, blackmail and harassment? Tell me, would the Board of Directors remain on your uncle's side, should they learn of these unsavory scandals and if they were to get out to the public?" Aomine clamped his mouth shut, unable to answer Akashi.

"That needs solid evidence, otherwise they won't believe us. Nobody would believe us." Midorima interrupted, arms crossing over his chest.

Akashi smiled at that. "Yes. Yes, exactly. Aomine, you are aware of your uncle's activities, would you kindly provide Midorima with as much information as possible? I am very sorry about this — this will damage your uncle's reputation in the public's eyes, are you fine with that?"

" … He's got it coming. I've warned him so many times." Aomine said, tone strained. "I can't let him tarnish our family's name even further — I can't let more innocent people be dragged into this mess. I'll do it."

Akashi looked at him apologetically. "I see. If that is what you think, then."

The redhead switched his attention to Midorima.

"Midorima, would you mind being in charge of researching the evidence we need to discredit Director Daichi, and gather support for the Former Director? I will lend you my resources to do so, Sanada will assist and provide you with whatever you may need. Also, I need you to find a way to contact Former Director Daisuke, break him out of house arrest if needed. You may use some of my bodyguards, as well." He gestured at the butler, who nodded and approached Midorima swiftly.

Midorima looked at Akashi, then Sanada and nodded. "Yes, Akashi. I will give it my all."

Kagami saw Sanada and Midorima were talking something about needing computers with high specs and clear Internet connection — Kagami didn't really understand the stuff they discussed. Takao didn't look like he got it either, staring at his mate and the older butler with a blank, bored face.

"Momoi, you're excellent at data gathering as well, would you please join Midorima and assist him? Oh, and do you mind being Aomine's representative, in contacting the Former Director? I believe I will need to borrow him for another task. Surely, you don't mind?" Akashi said to the pink-haired girl beside Aomine, who beamed at him in response.

"Of course, Akashi-kun! I'd love to help Tetsu-kun and Ki-chan as much as I can. I'll go help Midorin!" She declared, standing up and walking over to join Midorima and Sanada's complex techno-nerd discussion.

Akashi smiled in satisfaction, leaning back.

"Excellent. We need to take advantage of as many elements as possible. Aomine, could you enlighten me of the current condition of the institution's structure? Surely, with the sudden change of leadership, there are bound to be more than a few internal problems — I need to know. Also, Kagami, please join our discussion. I think you will be needed for this." Akashi said, suddenly turning to him.

Kagami scratched the back of his head, unsure. His gaze still roamed over Midorima and Momoi, discussing whatever it was they needed to do. "Uuh … sure. Techno brainy stuff ain't my forte, just so you know."

The most Kagami could do with computer and Internet, was Google, YouTube and Gmail. Social media websites like Facebook weren't really his thing, despite how much Koganei bugged him to get an account. Also, he used YouTube almost exclusively for NBA games — and dog videos to get him used to Nigou. Other than that, nada.

Akashi laughed. "Rest assured, it's not about that."

While half of the group was busy forming the intelligence-gathering team (plus Takao), Kagami and Aomine sat to right and left of Akashi, each sitting across the other, eager to know what he had to say.

"There is something I have to say to Aomine before we start our discussion." Akashi started. "In order to utilize the Akashi family resources, I need to provide a valid excuse to my father I'm afraid. Because eventually, my father will notice my activities and may put a stop to it, if he deems what we're trying to do is a waste of resources. We cannot afford such a risk if we want the plan to work to perfection. I need to persuade my father to see the profit in this mission."

He looked at Aomine in the eyes. "Aomine, the Akashi family will help Former Director Daisuke regain control of the institution, under the condition that your family must be willing to give up a portion of your authority over the hospital to the Akashi household, when you, as the Heir of the Institution, become the next Director. Is that alright?"

"You're asking me this, now?" Aomine was baffled, reeling backwards.

"Do not worry, I don't intend to abuse authority. I merely extend the offer to be business partners, as fellow future leaders of our households. I'd like to make sure this kind of incident does not repeat itself in the future, let's just say it's profitable for the Akashi brand to be involved in humanitarian efforts." He explained. Akashi was making good points there, Kagami must say. Leadership just seemed as natural as breathing air for Akashi. Aomine though, Kagami was doubtful.

Aomine thought about it for a moment. Akashi gave him some breather time.

" … fine. I'll sign the contract, if you have one." He finally said.

"We will discuss this further, after we succeed our goal. I will inform my father of this, I am sure he'll be pleased. He is quite fond of Former Director Daisuke." Akashi smiled politely. "Now then. Back to our discussion. Aomine, what can you tell me about the security details within the institution?"

Aomine furrowed his eyebrows, thinking.

"Usually, we have around fifty bodyguards on stand by. Rotation's divided to day and night shifts. Twenty five bodyguards are on duty for each shift, from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M. for morning, the rest for the night. Twelve of them guard the front gates and patrol around the vicinity. The rest are assigned to specific VVIP patients, posted at the building entrances and other miscellaneous tasks." He explained.

"But, recently we have a lack of manpower. Uncle fired around twenty-six bodyguards who're loyal to gramps. He's paranoid that gramps might attempt to overthrow him, so he's been dismissing some of the doctors and older staff who're close to gramps, too. As of now, we've hired ten new bodyguards and the hospital is understaffed— it's not easy to replace what we've lost. There's been disorganization in many areas, especially in our security details — the new bodyguards need time to adjust to new environments, so rotation's been messed up. We don't have many patients, so lack of hospital staff isn't much of a problem, for now."

"I see. As I suspected. It's quite difficult to find new staff that can make up the previous quality in human resources, in such a short time, after all." Akashi said, nodding.

"This is good news for us, however. There are plenty of holes in the security details we can take advantage of. But, I am concerned about one thing, Aomine. The patients. How many are there currently housed in the hospital; including the elderly, the mothers and the orphans?"

Aomine's lips tightened. "If I'm not wrong — we're currently housing eighteen underage orphans, fifteen elderly and fifty three patients and their kids. What of it?"

Akashi breathed in deeply, before he started explaining.

"If we're planning a Coup, I'm afraid the innocent may be caught in the crossfire. If possible, I'd like to make arrangements for them to be removed from the institution when the time comes, along with the hospital's staff. And perhaps, prepare lodging for the orphans and elderly to stay in temporarily, and a different hospital for the patients, until the conflict's resolved for good." The redhead explained, a thumb brushed along his bottom lip, gaze focused.

"Of course, I will help you make arrangements, if necessary."

The blue-haired teen seemed dumbfounded, staring at Akashi and blinking.

"I think … I can arrange temporary lodging for the orphans and elderly, and move the patients to the nearest hospital." He said. "But, how are we going to remove the entire staff and patients out of the institution all at once …?"

Akashi smiled, assuring. "There is a method. However, we will discuss the rest later, after we've infiltrated the institution tonight."

Kagami's eyes widened, his body leaned forward on reflex, almost rising from his seat. "We're going there tonight!? We're going to get Kuroko!?" He exclaimed, senses flaring in delight. Aomine also stared at Akashi, eyes wide.

The redhead shook his head lightly.

"I'm afraid it is impossible to remove Kuroko from the institution at the moment, without the risk of jeopardizing our plans. But yes, Kagami, we will go tonight. We need to inform Kise and Kuroko of what Aomine's uncle is planning for them as soon as possible. It's important for them to know what's coming and to be on their guard, and to be aware of what we're planning to do to resolve the matter. We will discuss this at a later date as well, after everyone is assembled. As for Midorima and Momoi — I will be in touch with them through the phone. Besides, I have someone I wish to meet there. And you Kagami, you must miss Kuroko very much."

"Yeah." Kagami said, without thinking. His mind was overwhelmed with the thought of meeting his mate again. "I miss him — I miss Kuroko so much. I don't care how, I just want to be with him."

Akashi and Aomine stared at him, the former's smile widened while the latter's gaze lowered, downcast.

"Excellent. With the institution's current condition, it would seem that we may be able to infiltrate the institution, if we pose as bodyguards. The current employees won't be suspicious should we tell them that we're newly appointed staff as additions to the lack of manpower, will they?" Akashi asked Aomine.

"No, they won't. The new bodyguards are purposely mixed into the current bodyguards' shifts, so they'll get used to the schedule quicker. You can pose as my personal bodyguards — but, there's the incident today with my uncle trying to — I'm not sure if they'd let me in that easily." Aomine chewed his lips, face twisting in conflict.

Kagami actually felt sorry for Aomine, he was caught in such complicated family affairs.

"Ah yes, that is true. I suppose you must contact your uncle and — " Akashi paused, seemingly thinking. " — and convince him that you've changed your mind, that you're willing to go with his methods, for the sake of your family. You want to make it believable, Aomine, don't seem too overeager. Pretend that you're … persuaded, by his dedication."

Aomine clamped his mouth shut.

"I'll try." He said, looking determined. Aomine's hand reached for his pocket and fished out a cellphone. "I'll do it now. I'm gonna go call my uncle — I'll be back." Akashi nodded, then Aomine stood up, walking towards the glass door leading to the veranda. Kagami watched as he closed the door behind him, phone against his ear while he leaned on the white rails of the fence.

Akashi also observed Aomine quietly, before he spoke again, turning to Kagami this time.

"Kagami, I know this may be hard to deal with, but I must ask you to be patient and cooperate with the rest of the plan." Akashi said, slowly. "You're quick with your temper — justifiably so, under these circumstances. I am asking you to join me in infiltrating the institution as part of the plan because I know that you, out of all people present here, wish to protect Kuroko the most. But I do desire you hold back until everything is set in stone."

Kagami flushed lightly, avoiding his gaze. "Am I really that obvious? Yeah, that's right. I'll do anything to protect Kuroko — he's my mate. I promised him I'd be there for him whenever he needed me."

Akashi laughed good-naturedly. "I am not making fun of you. I rather think it's admirable — I am jealous, I'd like to protect the one important to me, as well." He offered a kind smile.

"Huh. Who's this person you wanna meet there anyway?" Kagami asked, realizing something Akashi mentioned a short while back. "I mean, you don't really have to go there yourself. You've got a friend staying in that hospital?"

"Ah, yes. A very, very important … friend." The redhead's smile shook for a mere second, eyes staring at empty space. "Kouki … did not mention anything about being hurt. He merely informed me about Kuroko's situation. It would seem, that Kouki did not think that his condition was important enough to mention, to me."

"Kouki?" Kagami felt that name sounded familiar somehow. He furrowed his eyebrows, took a moment before he realized what exactly about that name bothered him. "Wait. Wait a minute. Furihata … Kouki. You're talking about  _that_  Furihata?"

Kagami did not miss when Akashi grew stiff, shifting in his seat, smile faltering. He was purposely avoiding Kagami's gaze and a faint flush appeared over his pale cheeks.

"Oh… my god." Kagami slowly uttered. Suddenly it hit him, hard. "You. And Furihata.  _Really_?"

"Unfortunately, our relationship isn't as what you think it is." Akashi cleared his throat, drawing a sigh. "Presently, we are only … friends. Pen pals, Kouki calls it. Even though we communicate via text messages and not traditional letters." He said, smiling thinly as if remembering something fond.

Kagami did not expect this at all. Akashi, the impeccable Emperor of Rakuzan, a Heavy Seed and Heir to a wealthy family,  _crushing_  on someone as ordinary and  _normal_  as Furihata? This was… this was weird. His mind was blown, to tiny, minuscule, atomic bits.

"Whoa. I did not expect this at all. You and Furihata. This is … weird. I mean, Furihata's terrified of you! Remember the Winter Cup? You scared him  _shitless_." Kagami pointed out bluntly.

He remembered how much the brunette had shaken, and the horror on his face when he had to guard Akashi — Furihata had guts though, despite how terrified he was of Akashi, he'd done his best under pressure, even managed to exceed expectations. But for Akashi to have a crush on Furihata, was as absurd as it sounded. What was this, a rom-com? When did that happen?

"I … I am aware that I might have overwhelmed Kouki, at some point. I cannot help the first impression he'd gotten from me — we didn't meet under normal circumstances, after all." Akashi glanced at his lap, looking nervous. For the first time Kagami noticed how anxious he was, despite the perfect composure and confidence he'd been displaying throughout the meeting.

It hit Kagami. "Oh right, that was your crazier personality right? Y'know, the one who's a psycho maniac? He did a number on Furihata's impression on you — he saw you attack me with the scissors and all."

Akashi's lips twitched upwards. "Yes. I've been trying to remedy the situation — by taking it slow. I do not wish to frighten him even more."

"By  _texting_  him." Kagami monotonously said. "You know. Furihata's a pretty average guy. He's a Light Seed, too. He won't get it if you're being too subtle with him. He'll just think you're being nice to him — or something else. The point is, he won't notice. Trust me, Kuroko's like that too."

Because Furihata's the only other First Year Kagami knew Kuroko spent a lot of time with, beside himself. And they were both involved in the Library Committee, too. Surprisingly, they had a lot of things in common — personality wise. Both worked hard for Seirin and didn't expect much in return, both loved reading and both were quiet. Kagami was pretty sure Furihata might even be as slow as Kuroko, when it came to romance.

Akashi looked at him, red eyes flashed in curiosity. "Then what — " He paused, seemingly unsure, before he spoke again. "Then what do you … recommend? I - I honestly do not know what to do. Kouki is very different, from my previous partners — I am serious about this, just so we're clear." He admitted openly, crimson gaze firm.

Whoa. This was still crazy to Kagami, but he must admit Akashi looked lost. Kagami wanted to laugh, the all-knowing Akashi actually didn't know what to do to seduce someone like Furihata? — but since Akashi was helping him get Kuroko back, Kagami would return the sentiment, even if this was just a small token in comparison.

"Well, to start off, be clearer in your approach. But don't get too aggressive — he may not like it." He started, recalling what he'd done so far, the misses and the spot-ons he had with Kuroko.

"Shower him with your attention and make him feel like he's the most important person in the room. But be honest, don't lie just to get on his good side — that never works, and it'll make it harder for him to trust you. Note what he likes and dislikes, and what he needs. Don't be excessive though — remember, he's just an average guy. He doesn't expect much from you, so do it in small doses instead of all at once, or he'll think it's too much. And, be sure you're always there when he needs you, not only in physical sense — emotionally, too. That's the most important thing."

The redheaded Lion was quiet for a bit, seemingly contemplating what Kagami told him.

"Is that … all? It just seems rather simple." He asked, as if that was his conclusion.

"Easier said than done, believe me." Kagami said, scratching the back of his head and grimacing.

"I'm still working on the last part, you know — the 'be there when Kuroko needs me'? I'm stuck here until we're moving. I know I have to use my brain and all — I'm just no good at it, but being reckless won't get Kuroko back. Also, I don't think the process' ever gonna be over. At some point, I'll slip up and make Kuroko unhappy — then maybe later he'll piss me off too. But that's just how it is. I'll have to repeat the process again — and he will too. As long as we don't stop caring for each other, though, we'll be fine." Kagami said, lips twitching upwards into a half-grin.

The look on Akashi's face was that of amazement, like Kagami had said something profoundly inspiring — it was a little embarrassing. He couldn't help but avoid his gaze and scratch the back of his head, like a sort of nervous tick. God, the way Akashi stared at him was unnerving and bizarre.

"Uh, so yeah. That's it." He lamely finished.

Akashi was still staring. "I … appreciate your input, Kagami. I have not thought of such a method, before. It would seem that I am still lacking in this department. I shall endeavor to practice  _your way of love_ , Kagami Taiga. You have enlightened me." He declared, all in complete seriousness.

Kagami flushed. "Shit — Don't friggin' make it sound weird!  _God_."

It was really getting weirder, because Akashi started asking for more dating advice and extracting details about Furihata out of him, like how the brunette was at school and club, what were his likes and dislikes, about his friends and family, etc. Kagami told him one by one, and Akashi soaked up everything with eagerness. He didn't think there would come a day, in his entire lifetime, in which Akashi Seijuurou of all people, would ask Kagami advice for his love life. It was even stranger than the fact that he had a crush on Furihata. Life was weird.

At some point they had to stop because Aomine came back. There was only the three of them in the room now, the rest had excused themselves to start on their assigned tasks, Akashi offered for them to stay in another Maisonette Suite on the same floor, which he paid for — Momoi was very excited at the prospect of spending the night in the Suite. She skipped on her way out and all.

"I managed to convince him — I apologized and everything." Aomine told them. "He wants to meet me tomorrow, to discuss the plans with Kise and Kuroko. I told him I'll try to convince Kise and Kuroko to agree, told him it's easier if they don't fight back. We can go tonight if you guys want to."

"Thank you, Aomine. I appreciate it." Akashi said to him. "However, we're still waiting for one more person. In the mean time, I'll have Sanada prepare the necessary outfits for our disguise."

"One more person?" Kagami asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. I've sent someone to go fetch Murasakibara, he should arrive in two hours or so." Akashi checked his wristwatch. "He will be accompanying us, and perhaps we can explain the situation along the way. We will need his strength, just in case. I have to say, he makes the most convincing bodyguard out of the all of us, don't you think?" He said, chuckling amusedly.

—

A while later, Akashi's butler appeared by the door, pushing a wheeled clothes rack into the Suite. Rows of black suits and white button up shirts hung neatly along the steel pole, covered in thick plastic sheets like they had been freshly picked up from the laundry.

Akashi was already dressed formally so he would only need to put on a suit jacket, Kagami thought idly, as he fingered the impeccably smooth suit by the hanger. Kagami was 190 cm tall with 82 kg worth of hulking muscle, so shopping for clothes could be a challenge for him — since they had such small sizes in Japan. But he found a suit set that was exactly his size; Kagami eyed the redhead suspiciously, who was currently speaking to Aomine.

There was no way Akashi could guess his size perfectly just by sight, was there? What a freaky ability. Kagami shuddered involuntarily.

Secretly, he wished Furihata plenty of luck, for somehow getting a freakin' lion stalking him. Lions were pretty persistent creatures, Kagami was reminded of his hardheaded dad — whom he inherited his personality and red hair from, though he looked more like his mother in appearance — more like a tiger than a lion.

Then again, at least Kagami didn't have a creepy ass psycho alternate personality, who'd attack random people with scissors or threaten to gouge his eyes out if he lost a Basketball match.

Kagami closed his eyes and shook his head. Yep, he wasn't going to think too much about it. He took the suit and a pair of leather shoes that had been resting on a bottom shelf of the rack and excused himself to try it on in the walk-in closet.

Kagami looked at his reflection in the life-size mirror, feeling stiffness and tension around the collar area. He looked okay, he guessed, he wasn't really a formal suit kinda guy. He disliked it, in fact, it felt so uncomfortable on his skin. Stiff and odd. A good thing that the tie was pre-knotted, so he only needed to loop it over his head and tighten the knot around his neck, a blood red silk tie that ran down to the belt line. Kagami buttoned up the suit jacket, and straightened his back. He spun around for a bit, in front of the mirror. Everything looked set.

Alright, time to go out.

When Kagami stepped out the closet, the sight of Murasakibara's freakishly giant body and his ridiculously bright purple hair immediately greeted him. Akashi was talking to Murasakibara in the living room area, Kagami strode towards them, feeling awkward in the brand new leather shoes. They also fit snugly despite his enormous feet, though, definitely weird.

"Oh, Kaga-chin. Hello. Muro-chin says hi." Murasakibara greeted Kagami, dragging out his sentence. Long purple strands framed his blank face.

Akashi also turned to him, smiling politely. "Hello Kagami, I see that the suit fits you well. You look dashing in it."

"Uh, yeah, thanks. So — How's Tatsuya? He okay?" Kagami asked, more due to the lack of conversation topics than anything. He still wasn't used to being around the Generation of Miracles outside of court — out of all of them, Murasakibara was the person he was leased used to, since they didn't see each other much. Tatsuya talked about him a lot in his texts and phone calls though.

Murasakibara tilted his head to one side, seemingly thoughtful, though his expression was still as blank as ever. " … hmmm, Muro-chin was still sleeping in bed when Aka-chin's guy picked me up. He said his hips hurt, so he can't come along. Usually Muro-chin needs a day to recover after sex 'cos last night we — "

" _Wait_. I do not need to know what you guys did,  _goddammit_." Kagami quickly interrupted, face paling. He felt sick at the mental images. "I really don't wanna know about Tatsuya's sex life, thank you very much."

The tall giant grinned lazily. "Well, Kaga-chin, you asked. I'm just answering you."

Akashi chuckled. "Murasakibara, don't tease Kagami so much. He's been through a lot recently."

"Okay, Aka-chin. I won't tease Kaga-chin anymore." Murasakibara nodded, the damn grin still plastered on his face. Kagami doubted the sincerity of his words. "Kaga-chin, I heard from Aka-chin that Kuro-chin and Se-chin are in trouble? I've come to help." Murasakibara suddenly said.

"Huh? Oh yeah, thanks. I appreciate it." Kagami said, firmly. "We need all the help we can get, so thanks for coming here, Murasakibara."

The purple-haired giant stared at him blankly. "Kaga-chin loves Kuro-chin a lot, huh? That's nice." He grinned, as if teasing.

Kagami flushed, flabbergasted. " … so what!? That's obvious! Kuroko's my mate. I want him back." He retorted defensively.

"Hmmm," Murasakibara hummed, turning to Akashi again. "So, what should I do, Aka-chin? We're gonna go meet Kuro-chin and Se-chin right?"

"Yes, let me explain everything on the way. For now you need to change clothes, Murasakibara." Akashi urged gently, gesturing towards the clothesline rack.

—

After everyone was dressed in black suits, except for Aomine, Akashi instructed his butler to prepare for the cars — specifically two black sedans similar to what the Organization had. Sanada confirmed his order and left the room, fifteen minutes later he came back and announced the cars would arrive shortly. That was quick, Kagami thought, could it be Akashi bought two entire new cars just for this mission? Akashi laughed when he asked, he said he rented the cars from a nearby car dealer — courtesy of Akashi family's name.

Murasakibara's giant ass body had a hard time fitting into the narrow space of the sedan, since his limbs and torso were way too long for the normal sized car. Kagami had similar problems, although he wasn't as freakishly big as Murasakibara was. They ended up letting him occupy the entire backseat of the car for his long legs, while Akashi sat in the front passenger seat. Aomine and Kagami used the other car, Aomine sat in the front seat, because the institution's guards would need to see his face for identification and to tell directions to the driver.

It was over an hour ride to get out of the busy streets of Shibuya during rush hour — the sky was darkening as their cars left the main roads, driving into the outskirts of Tokyo.

The ride was long and the distance was far from the bustling city, Kagami noted with furrowed eyebrows. Kuroko was taken so far away from him — taken to a place Kagami knew nothing about, and couldn't possibly learn about without help. Kuroko was neither the strongest nor healthiest guy he knew, his constitution was slightly frail. With the constant stress from being abducted by strangers and kept captive in an unfamiliar environment, Kagami could only hope it didn't wear him down too much. He needed to make sure Kuroko was alright, with his own eyes.

A while later, they entered a cramped wooded road that could only fit one car at a time. The surroundings were even darker and more ominous with the lack of proper streetlights, it was damn scary. Kagami would be doomed if he saw something shadowy with blank white eyes and blood red tears appear behind the bushes, so he kept staring at his hands in his lap instead, gathering his wits. God, this was embarrassing. Stupid Aomine looked completely fine though — probably used to it already.

Dammit, he had to man up.

He couldn't see well where they were going with darkness shrouding most of everything, until lampposts and a large brick road came into view, leading towards a pair of steel gates up ahead, shadowed forms of large buildings lay beyond the gates, with thick walls surrounding them. He knew they had arrived. Kagami felt a lump rise to his throat when the driver rolled down the window for the guard to look in, Aomine flawlessly explained himself — thankfully the guard instantly recognized him.

Kagami gulped nervously when the guard glanced his way, he straightened his back to look intimidating, staring back at the man with confidence and certainty. The man nodded and he nodded back, but said nothing. All was well. Then they were allowed to enter the compound, Akashi's car trailed closely behind theirs. Kagami secretly sighed in relief, yet he couldn't rest just yet, heart pounding in anticipation.

Kuroko was somewhere in this place. Kagami had to exercise all of his self-control not to run out on his own for a wild chase, as soon as he got out of the car.

It was already evening when they arrived. Kagami could see the compound was spacious, surrounded by tall walls and lush greenery. He couldn't see any clear details at night. A bodyguard rushed out of the center building's entrance to greet Aomine formally, which the latter returned casually. He looked significantly older than the bodyguards they saw at the gates. Maybe he was their leader, Kagami thought.

"I'll be staying here for the night, prepare the usual room." Aomine told the Bodyguard. Then he turned and gestured to Kagami, Akashi and Murasakibara, who stood behind him. "These guys are my personal bodyguards, I'm gonna have them stay here to help out. I'll figure out what they're gonna do later, tell that to uncle if he asks."

"Yes, of course, Young Master Daiki." The tall bodyguard bowed slightly. "We've received your call hours prior, your bedroom is ready to be occupied. Shall I have my men escort the Arctic Fox to your room?"

Kagami flinched, he disliked the way they made it sound like Kuroko wasn't a person of his own, beyond his breed. He was bothered. But Kagami kept quiet, holding back the growing irritation. He breathed in and out slowly to calm himself.

" … yeah, I'm gonna have a chat with Tetsu. Summon him to my room later." Aomine paused. "Is Kise here? The Japanese Wolf. You guys have his mate here right?"

"Yes, Young Master Daiki. Kise Ryouta, the Japanese Wolf and his mate are staying the night here, as planned. The Wolf has not put up a fight so far. His mate is displeased with the arrangement, however." The Bodyguard explained, politely.

Kagami inhaled sharply. Akashi turned to him and held his stare, as if telling him to cool down. Kagami clenched his jaw and kept silent, balling his fists at his sides. Murasakibara yawned widely, next to him.

"Right." Aomine scratched his head. "I'll go talk to them too. Anyway, get Tetsu first. I'm going to the room, you don't have to follow me around. I'll go by myself. Stay away from my room in the mean time, I'll call you when I need something."

The Bodyguard bowed. "Understood. Enjoy your stay, Young Master."

Aomine looked over his shoulders. "Let's go."

The institution looked like a normal private hospital, Kagami thought, as they strode into the main building.

It wasn't at all like the prison Kagami had imagined to be. It was clean and immaculate, the interior was beautifully and thoughtfully designed, the furniture deprived of sharp edges and the floorings were evened out, specifically constructed to be a children and disabled friendly environment. Something his mother had shared to him before, when she was working on projects involving an elderly house and a kindergarten. Clearly, the hospital was built carefully, with great attention to detail.

Kagami couldn't see how these people could make something created for good, into a place that housed such questionable activities. It was unthinkable. Kagami kept his own opinions to himself as he followed Aomine along with Akashi and Murasakibara.

Aomine led them to an executive bedroom, in the East Wing sixth floor. There were two bodyguards standing by the door when they approached. They bowed slightly to Aomine, before excusing themselves and leaving their posts. They entered then, Aomine telling them to sit on the couch, while he went over to the mini bar on one side of the room for a can of beer, gulping down the drink. Akashi and Murasakibara sat on the sofa, but Kagami stayed standing, far too restless.

Unconsciously, Kagami sharpened his senses, searching for any sign of Kuroko. It was night, less noisy compared to the day, and it was easier for him to separate the sounds. He heard snores, steady breaths and faint noises of people talking. Kagami inhaled and held his breath, when his ears caught familiar footsteps, mingled with a stranger's.

His breath hitched, heart pounding, and he locked his gaze towards the door. The sounds of footsteps grew closer, louder, and he balled his fists until they trembled at his sides, desperately keeping himself from sprinting out of the room with all that he had. Seconds later, the door flung open, and a bodyguard peeked into the room.

"Young Master, I have brought the Arctic Fox." He announced, stepping to the side to allow another, shorter person, enter the room from behind him.

And Kagami forgot how to breathe. The noises fell on deaf ears and his vision locked onto one singular subject.

Kuroko tentatively entered the room, a pair of clear blue eyes scanned the room and his lips parted, the words flew out of his mouth like music to Kagami's ears. The door closed behind him.

"Good evening, Aomine-kun. I have been wanting to talk — " Kuroko stopped stiff when his gaze locked on Kagami, the sentence died on his tongue.

Kagami didn't understand why his knees suddenly grew weak. He wanted to move but he couldn't. He wanted to speak, but his voice was caught in his throat. And his eyes grew heated, wet and lukewarm. His fingers were trembling, and his body stiff. He never felt like this before, these — unstoppable emotions. It overwhelmed his senses, ridding him of any thought that wasn't Kuroko. Everything else was insignificant.

Kuroko staggered forward. The composure in his expression  _crumbled_ , face twisting and eyebrows furrowing. His voice cracked when he spoke a second later.

"Kagami-kun…?" He uttered shakily, in disbelief. Those beautiful blue eyes were glazed wet, staring at him as if in a daze. "Is — is that really you?"

Kagami didn't know how he got his strength back, but the second it returned, the soles of his feet kicked off the ground before he knew it, and he leaped towards Kuroko, arms spread wide. It was a total two seconds, but it felt like an hour, his anxiety was relieved only when he finally wrapped his arms around Kuroko's smaller frame, felt his warmth against himself and breathed in his scent deeply, the dark loneliness vanishing like a bad dream — the heated rage and frustration forgotten.  _Nothing_  was more important than this moment.

Kagami embraced Kuroko tightly, buried his nose in the crook of his neck and whispered his beloved's name over and over again, like a broken record. Kagami breathed in his scent so deeply, his lungs were filled with Kuroko — and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Kagami-kun, Kagami-kun…" He heard Kuroko's sweet voice calling his name, again and again, just like what he was doing. He felt hands clutch at his back, gripping tightly. They clung to one another as if he would disappear when they relaxed their hold. Lukewarm heat was gathering behind Kagami's eyelids, wet tears started welling up in his eyes.

Shit, Kagami felt like he was going to  _cry_.

They stayed that way for a while, before Kagami withdrew, hands cupping Kuroko's face to look at him closely. Kuroko looked paler than he remembered, the white of his eyes pink, and there were traces of dark circles just above his cheeks, below his eyes. He seemed smaller than he remembered too, skinnier. His cheeks had sunken in slightly. Kagami felt pain sting his chest at the sight of his mate, and the traces of distress he found on his features. It hurt him to see Kuroko like this.

"You — you look thin." Kagami choked, stubbornly wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his suit, when tears started dripping down traitorously. He sniffed and inhaled, fought hard to give Kuroko an assuring grin. He couldn't look weak now, he needed to be strong for Kuroko. Dammit, he needed to be strong. "Are you — are you okay? Nothing hurts?"

Kuroko smiled thinly, a tear made a slow trail down his cheek. "I'm alright. You came for me, like you said you would. Kagami-kun … I missed you." Kuroko whispered, leaning into his touch.

Oh God, he was so precious. So precious to Kagami. He wished, from the bottom of his heart, that they wouldn't be separated again — Kagami couldn't take any more of such anguish, he couldn't take the thought of not having Kuroko in his arms, out of his sight. He couldn't stand seeing Kuroko like this, suffering alone without him by his side.

"I missed you too." Kagami shakily said, brushing the droplets of tears from Kuroko's cheek. "God, Kuroko, I missed you so much.  _I thought I was going to lose my mind!_ "

He leaned in and kissed Kuroko's eyelids, licked off the tears and trailed feathery kisses on his face, his forehead, his nose, his jaw then his lips. Kagami kissed him several times and held Kuroko close, one arm around his waist and one held his face gently. They lost sight of everything else, enjoying the way they felt against one another, for as long as they could. From the corner of his eye, Kagami saw that Akashi and Murasakibara were leaving the room discreetly, the former had smiled at him and nodded, as if he told Kagami they'd give them some private time.

Kagami flushed and nodded back. Aomine gazed at them, face unreadable, before he left with the rest. Kagami was grateful of the considerate gesture.

Eventually, Kagami realized they'd been standing for too long, so they moved to the couch. He had Kuroko sit on his lap, unwilling to let go, now that Kagami had him again. Kuroko didn't seem to mind when Kagami wrapped his arms around the shorter boy, cradling him close.

"I didn't notice Akashi-kun and Murasakibara-kun were present as well." Kuroko said, cheeks flushing adorably. "I — I only saw you, Kagami-kun. I'm so embarrassed, we completely ignored them. It was rude of me."

Kagami couldn't help but kiss him on the cheek. "It's okay. They understand, don't worry about it so much." He assured, laughing softly.

"Kagami-kun, you shouldn't be so shameless. We must apologize to Akashi-kun, Murasakibara-kun and Aomine-kun. And then … thank them, too." He warned, giving Kagami one of his stern lecturing looks. Kagami had missed it.

Kagami pressed his lips against Kuroko's pale neck, breathing in his delicious scent. He loved Kuroko's neck the most. "Yeah, I'll do it later. But for now, let me do this. I haven't seen you for so long." He murmured, the pale skin shuddered beneath his lips.

They lingered like that, enjoying the comfortable silent and sharing body heat, for a while, occasionally kissing.

"Kagami-kun, now that I think about it, why are Akashi-kun and Murasakibara-kun here?" Kuroko asked, when their lips parted after the umpteenth time. "I must admit I was distracted for a bit, but now I remember I have something I want to talk about with Aomine, it's about Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san."

"Uh, what? Oh. Yeah." Kagami was snapped away from his dreamy state, suddenly remembering what they came there for. "Yeah, we know. The thing about Kise and his mate — wait, Kasamatsu? You mean Captain of Kaijō?" Well, that part was news to him.

His mate nodded. "Yes, Kasamatsu-san is Kise-kun's mate. He's currently pregnant with Kise-kun's baby."

"Whoa. So he got him pregnant? Kise's got guts." Kasamatsu didn't look like the type that was easy to handle, but then again he was probably the only guy who could control that frivolous Kise. He seemed so much more mature and dependable than the blonde was.

"Kasamatsu-san was forcefully brought here, like Furihata-kun and I." Kuroko's expression turned cold and dark, frowning.

"They sent a letter to Kise-kun, claiming Kasamatsu-san had gotten into an accident. It's clear that Kise-kun was purposely lured to this place, but I don't know the reason. I don't know what they're planning. I told Kise-kun about this concern, and he's afraid Kasamatsu-san will be hurt, so he hasn't tried to do anything reckless. Kasamatsu-san's condition is too delicate and Furihata-kun is bedridden with injuries. I'm very worried, only the two of us won't be able to protect them should anything happen — I am unused to fighting, as well. I honestly do not know what to do." He told Kagami, gaze downcast.

Kagami could feel the growing anxiety from his mate's subtle body language.

"Hey, it's alright. Kuroko, look at me. It's gonna be fine." Kagami tilted Kuroko's jaw to look at him. "We're here to help all of you. We're not gonna let anyone get hurt, okay? Me, Aomine, Murasakibara and Akashi are here to get you all out of this place — we have a plan. Everyone's gonna be safe, believe me. We'll do anything to make sure of that."

Kuroko grew quiet.

"I … believe in you, Kagami-kun." He said, sky blue eyes shone brighter, cleared of the previous shadow. "You never lie to me. So I believed you would come for me, and you did."

Kagami grinned, embarrassed, scratching his head. "I just wanna be with you, Kuroko. I mean, I promised I'd be with you when you need me, didn't I?"

Kuroko blushed, nodding shyly. "Yes. I am … very happy, that you're here with me."

God, he was so adorable. Kagami leaned in and kissed him again.

"If I may ask, Kagami-kun. What is the plan that you mentioned? Does it have something to do with Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san?" Kuroko asked. "I understand why Aomine-kun may contact Akashi-kun, but Murasakibara-kun is also here. Would you explain it to me?"

Kagami chewed his lips. He needed to explain everything to Kuroko — about what they'd planned for him and Kise. Kagami was sure Akashi and the rest were probably telling the others about it as they spoke. It was probably why Akashi left them alone — so he could explain it and calm down Kuroko when needed, as his mate. After all, these complicated issues could be too much to take in all at once.

"Alright. Kuroko, I need to tell you something." Kagami started calmly. Kuroko looked at him, he seemed to understand Kagami was going to tell him something important, and nodded. Kagami hesitated for a bit, didn't know where he should begin, there were so many things to tell. Seconds later, he decided.

"Okay, Kuroko. What do you know about Returner to Ancestry?"

—

TBC

—


	11. Restless Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Someone asked for a list of the characters’ breeds, so here we go!
> 
> **Characters List**  
>  1\. Kuroko Tetsuya : Arctic Fox / Middle Seed / Retrograde (ES)  
> 2\. Kagami Taiga : Half-Bengal Tiger / Heavy Seed / Liger Hybrid   
> 3\. Kise Ryouta : Japanese Wolf / Heavy Seed (ES)  
> 4\. Kasamatsu Yukio : Shikoku-inu / Light Seed  
> 5\. Midorima Shintarou : Cheetah / Heavy Seed (VL)  
> 6\. Takao Kazunari : Asiatic Jackal / Middle Seed  
> 7\. Akashi Seijuurou : Lion / Heavy Seed (VL)  
> 8\. Furihata Kouki : Shiba-inu / Light Seed  
> 9\. Aomine Daiki : Black Panther / Heavy Seed   
> 10\. Momoi Satsuki : Leopard Cat / Middle Seed  
> 11\. Murasakibara Atsushi : Grizzly Bear / Heavy Seed (TH)  
> 12\. Himuro Tatsuya : Mud Snake / Middle Seed
> 
> **Bonus Characters: Seirin Team**  
>  1\. Aida Riko : Japanese Bobtail / Light Seed  
> 2\. Junpei Hyuuga : Asian Keelback Snake / Middle Seed  
> 3\. Izuki Shun : Kai-inu / Light Seed  
> 4\. Koganei Shinji : Burmese Cat / Light Seed  
> 5\. Mitobe Rinnosuke : Black Bear / Middle Seed  
> 6\. Teppei Kiyoshi : Brown Bear / Heavy Seed  
> 7\. Kagetora Aida : Leopard / Heavy Seed
> 
> **Protection Status:**  
>  ES: Endangered Species  
> VL: Vulnerable  
> TH: Threatened
> 
> P.S.: I hope you’ve had a great Christmas Holiday! Happy New Years 2015 in advance, my dears! :-}
> 
> UPDATE: Latest Chapter is edited and proofed by KC!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 11: Restless Nights

—

"Kise-kun and I, are to mate? Because I am this … Retrograde?"

Kagami nodded. Kuroko only stared back at him, gaze blank as if the explanation hadn't sunk into his mind yet. So far, he had explained Kuroko's true identity and the reasons behind his abduction — then briefly about the plans to reinstate Aomine's grandfather. Kuroko had listened to him, expression unreadable at first, traces of surprise and shock merely suggested by the slow widening of his eyes, as Kagami went on with his explanation.

Kagami could catch hints in the delicate details of his body language and the slight changes in his scent. Kuroko was surprised, shocked — yet oddly, enlightened. He didn't seem too surprised, in fact, he looked as if he now knew all the missing pieces of an incomplete puzzle, with all the gaps filled in— the dots connected and mystery solved. Yet Kagami couldn't help but to worry, Kuroko had once closed himself off completely after experiencing emotional trauma back during his last year in Teikou. Kagami knew how long it had taken for Kuroko to learn to trust others again, to let them in and open himself up once more.

To realize that all of his life, he had been lied to — or protected from the truth, for his own safety. Kagami didn't want Kuroko to slip back into the darkness he had once retreated to.

"Are you… okay?" Kagami asked, a hand went to caress his cheek gently.

Kuroko's eyes focused on him again, as if snapped from a daze.

"I … I honestly don't know. I suppose, it makes sense now." Kuroko murmured, gaze downcast. "I never knew. I didn't think — that I was that important. I didn't even know what a Retrograde was, until you explained it just now. I suppose that was why my grandmother told me to never tell anyone about my — my parents or my lineage. I had always thought I was an ordinary Light Seed, nothing more." He paused.

"It just seems that everyone around me acts differently when they learn about my breed." Kuroko reeled backwards, he seemed bewildered, distant. "I'm sorry, Kagami-kun, this is … a lot to take in." He admitted, his voice breaking slightly.

Kagami chewed his lips. He could feel Kuroko grow more and more withdrawn, stiff and cold. He needed to make it clear to Kuroko — that his status mattered little to Kagami. He needed to make sure Kuroko knew that nothing had changed; not before, not now and not ever.

"Kuroko, I just want you to know this." He said, a hand cupped Kuroko's chin to make him look at Kagami. "I don't care what you are, I don't care that you're a Retrograde or a rare species, or whatever. You could be a Primate for all I care, and I'd still want you. This changes nothing, you get me?" He told him, loud and firm, staring deeply into Kuroko's eyes.

Because it was the truth — from the first time they met, and every moment they spent together after that, Kagami had fallen more and more for him. By now, he was completely, irreversibly,  _head over heels_  for Kuroko, and that was the honest truth. Retrograde or Endangered Species, it didn't change anything in the slightest.

Kuroko's blue eyes widened, a crimson flush quickly scattered over his cheeks. "I — I don't know what to say." He whispered softly, eyes lowered shyly. The hands that clutched Kagami's shoulders clenched and unclenched. "Don't say something like that so suddenly, Kagami-kun. You're making me feel … at loss of words. It's embarrassing."

Kagami grinned, tightening his hold over Kuroko's hips. "Only I get to see you like this, so what's the problem?"

His mate pouted, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. "You're as insensitively blunt as ever, Kagami-kun."

Kagami laughed, prompting Kuroko to smile.

"But … thank you, Kagami-kun. I… these past few days haven't been easy for me. I've found out things about myself that are foreign to me — I've felt like I was losing my own identity, as if my life was built from truth mingled with lies, and I can't tell which is which." He murmured, tone strained.

"I understand that my grandmother had done what she could to protect me, but, I wished she had told me the truth herself, instead of me having to find it out from strangers. People who … who intend to use me, because of what I am." He fell quiet. "It's frustrating, to be honest."

"Yeah, it can't be helped that you feel that way. It's not strange." Kagami said, leaning closer until their foreheads touched each other's.

Kuroko closed his eyes, pressing himself gently against Kagami. "Kagami-kun… I never asked to be born this way. I never wanted to be an Endangered Species or a Retrograde. I just want to be … me. I want to be Kuroko Tetsuya, of the Seirin Basketball club. I want to be your partner on court as your shadow. I want to play again, with our seniors and friends." He spoke the words, soft and muted, as if he was talking to himself, rather than to Kagami.

"You're always you. To me, you're still you, Kuroko. Nothing could ever change that." Kagami gently assured, drawing a leisure circle over Kuroko's back. "When we get back, we'll go to Seirin and tell the team together, okay? We'll go back to school and everything's gonna be back to normal again. I promise."

Blue eyes were slowly opening, appearing behind thin eyelids. They were so beautiful. "I want to go home. I want to — I want to see my mom, dad and Nigou. It's been a while since I've seen them."

Kagami leaned forward, kissing his mate on the tip of his nose. "I know, Kuroko. We'll go home, as soon as we can. We'll walk Nigou together if you want. Your mom is worried — I told her I'd find you. You'll see her after this farce is over."

Kuroko was silent for a while.

"… I want to be with … you, Kagami-kun. I want to be with you, from now on and … always."

Kagami hadn't quite seen that one coming, and could only stare at Kuroko, mind blank. The latter purposely averted his gaze, a hot flush rising up his face and reaching all the way to the tips of his ears, expression twisted in a mix of embarrassment and conflict — his usual aloofness was nowhere to be found. Kagami swallowed the spit that gathered in the back of his throat, peering closely at Kuroko's face.

"I want to be with you, from now on and always, too." He solemnly declared. He was surprised by the calmness of his own voice when he spoke, gaze firm and unfaltering. "No, I swear. I swear I'll make it so we'll be together for as long as possible. Always. We'll always be together."

"R — really?" Kuroko's gorgeous blue eyes shyly met his, shining with delight. The blush over his cheeks was still apparent.

Kagami grinned. "Have I ever lied to you?"

" … I think even if you do, I'll be able to tell right away. You'd make a terrible liar, Kagami-kun." Kuroko's lips twitched, soon blooming into a smile. He was so adorable when he smiled. "And no. You've never lied to me. I trust you."

Kagami could feel a hand snake up his shoulders, stroking its way to the back of his head and grasping his hair. Then Kuroko closed the gap between them and kissed him, Kagami responded immediately, his own hand went to Kuroko's face, holding him gently, fingers settling behind his ear. Kuroko tilted his jaw and deepened their kiss, warm tongues mingling and saliva mixing. It was hot and seductive — sometimes Kuroko could be so bold, and Kagami loved it when he took the initiative.

Shit, Kagami wanted more.

He slowly moved his other hand to Kuroko's thigh, caressing up and down, slowly. Kuroko sighed into the kiss and moaned, when he sucked on his tongue, earning a delicious shudder. His scent was getting stronger, pheromones wafted to Kagami's nostrils from where their hips met. His own had grown thicker, mixing with Kuroko's. It was getting hotter and muskier, the taste of Kuroko and the warmth of his skin drove his mind into a frenzy of need.

Kagami groaned deeply, hands leaving their posts to grope Kuroko's ass over his jeans, kneading and sneaking under his shirt and jeans. He trailed a finger down the cleft of his ass, another hand sneaked to the front to caress a small bud, teasing it. Kuroko squirmed in his lap, letting out soft mewls and whimpers. Growling, Kagami began to grind their hips, their clothed sexes created heated friction as they rubbed together. Kuroko gasped, breaking the kiss, eyes glazed wet and lips parted. A trail of saliva connected them, from where they'd kissed fervently.

"Kagami-kun, not here." He whispered and shook his head, flushing adorably. "I don't want to do it here, this is Aomine-kun's room. It's improper."

Crap. He totally forgot.

"Shit, I forgot — sorry. Lost in the moment, there." He quickly apologized, scratching his head and grinning awkwardly.

"To be honest, I would prefer not to do anything private in this place. You cannot know if they're watching or not. I feel very uncomfortable here." Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows, displeased. "I prefer your room, Kagami-kun. Can we wait?" He asked.

"Yeah. Of course we can. We need to get you all out first anyhow, we'll wait 'til then." Kagami nodded. Well, the plan was urgent and more important, so he could wait — he'd waited for so long already, anyway. He could survive some more.

Kuroko stared at him with a strange look on his face. "… you don't have to agree so quickly … " He murmured, barely audible but enough for Kagami to hear with their narrow distance. The latter stared back, mouth gaping. Did he just — did Kagami hear that right? Kuroko actually wanted to — He flushed at the thought, heat radiating from his face.

Before Kagami could say anything in reply, Kuroko beat him to it. "We— we should go. I'm sure everyone is waiting for us, Kagami-kun. I need to check up on Furihata-kun, as well. The last time I saw him, he was sleeping from the medication. Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san are with him." He explained.

"Oh. Uuh, right."

Shit, now he had to calm down the stuff going on downstairs. Kagami shook his head and thought of the most vile things in the world to cool down quickly; Coach Kagetora in a bikini, or Midorima in a duchess' dress — okay, the last one was hilarious. It did manage to successfully distract himself; now Kagami was fighting hard not to break out in guffaws at the mental image.

Kuroko climbed off his lap, now standing up and staring weirdly at him.

"S — sorry, let's go now." Kagami managed to say, shoulders still shaking with restrained laughter.

They peeked outside the room, finding no bodyguards standing by. With his outfit, Kagami could pose as Kuroko's escort along the way. So they walked together, back to where Kuroko and Furihata stayed in. The corridors were empty and quiet at night, and they kept silent as they went down the hallways to avoid suspicion. They couldn't be too careful in enemy territory.

Kuroko was walking next to him, as opposed to behind him, clutching the hem of his sleeve — Kagami had to hold back not to grab and lace their hands together, like they always did whenever he walked Kuroko to the station.

After everything was over, he'd be bringing Kuroko back to his place, that was for sure. Everything would be back to normal. Kagami was determined to make it real as soon as possible.

—

Kuroko showed him the way, tugging him when they arrived at the nearest elevator area. The place was pretty huge, and a lot of corridors looked exactly the same — painted in white and warm champagne with rows of doors. They even smelled similar; an awful mixture of medicine, chemical compounds, antiseptic and god knew what else. It confused his senses, so Kagami was forced to block out the stench due to too much cringing.

Despite the identical hallways and corridors Kuroko seemed to know exactly where they were going, Kagami wondered if he'd spent some time exploring the hospital during his captivity? That sounded like something Kuroko would do; tactical analysis of unfamiliar surroundings. It also told him that Kuroko hadn't been completely obedient all this time.

After ten minutes or so, Kuroko finally tugged his arm to stop. "The bodyguards are gone, again." He heard him murmur, eyes gazing at a particular door. Then Kuroko turned his gaze to him. "Kagami-kun, I will go ahead, please proceed with caution and enter slowly. Kise-kun isn't in the best mood, at the moment."

"Huh?" Kagami said, drawing a blank.

Kuroko stepped ahead of him, a hand grabbed the handle of the door. He looked at Kagami once more, the latter thought he was making sure Kagami had understood the instructions. He swallowed, and nodded, then Kuroko turned his attention to the door, turned it and stepped inside. Once he was in the room, Kagami could hear Kuroko declaring their arrival.

A strong musk immediately wafted out from the opened gap of the door, the temperature dropped and the moisture in the air dried out as if drained away. Kagami staggered back a step, suddenly breathless. He could smell the strong scent of another Alpha in the room, threatening and menacing, wanting to get rid of him. Kagami gulped deeply, catching a faint fragrance of something foreign, yet familiar — a fragrance unique to those of an expecting mother's, earthy with a sort of warmth, protected behind a screen of thick, solid wall of blackened intimidation.

He realized Kise was making it clear to him — that if Kagami took a step too close to his mate, Kise wouldn't hesitate to rip him apart.

He clenched his jaw and lowered his gaze, then bent his back slightly as he entered the room, arms spread and palms facing down. He glanced up and saw Kise was standing in front of a shorter male — who was sitting on a chair behind him — arms spread protectively, face scrunched up and had turned partially beastly, snarling and barking ferociously at Kagami.

The scent thickened and grew ashen, hot, and yet it froze the blood in his veins. It was so thick, it was difficult for Kagami to breathe properly. The tightness of his collar was nearly unbearable, choking him. Beads of cold sweat trickled down his temples and Kagami looked down at the floor, back bent even lower and knees slightly folded, he flexed his fingers, to show the other Alpha that he wasn't carrying anything and he didn't mean any harm.

Kagami tilted his neck slightly to one side to reveal the large tendon of his jugular, a sign of submission — but also a peace offering. Kagami wasn't there to neither fight nor hurt his mate. Seconds ticked by and he held his posture. He heard Kise sniff incessantly, huffing and growling for a full minute, before withdrawing the thick layer of darkened fervor. Kagami felt like he could breathe again, swallowing large gulps of air at once, and straightened his back and knees, slowly and carefully.

Kuroko approached him, quickly pulled out a napkin to wipe the sweat on his face. "I'm sorry, Kagami-kun. Kise-kun has been like this for a while. He keeps driving away the bodyguards who usually stand by outside the room." He told him, but Kagami felt like Kuroko was such a sight for sore eyes, it made him relax much quicker.

"It's okay. He's just protecting his mate." Kagami said, breathing in and out deeply.

An agitated Alpha with a pregnant mate was almost impossible to reason with, unless one knew the proper way to 'greet' them, especially if another Alpha like him was present. Kagami understood that he had to be the understanding party in this case and submit — he would be like that too, if his own mate was pregnant and vulnerable. It was an old custom though, Kagami didn't expect he had to dish it out to someone like Kise, who didn't seem like he would go so far for a mate, as carefree and frivolous as he was.

Kasamatsu stood up and tried to step out from behind Kise's protective screen, he glared at the blonde when Kise scrambled to prevent him from doing so. "Senpai, don't move so much! Just sit down and relax, okay? I'll get you the snacks I bought, if you're hungry." The blonde cooed, gently pushing down the brunette by the shoulders.

Kasamatsu furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't say anything when he was pushed to sit again, glancing at Kagami. " … I'm sorry too, I told him not to overdo it, but he does anyway." He said, sighing. "He's kept this up the whole day, honestly. Kise, I am not a porcelain doll. I won't crack if I walk a little."

"But you're in your first trimester! What if you trip and fall? It's dangerous for you and the cub! The books say so!" Kise exclaimed, seemingly genuinely horrified at the suggestion of a casual walk. Kasamatsu only stared at him blankly.

"Keep it down, dumbass. Furihata is sleeping." The older boy sternly shushed him, glancing at the silhouette of a sleeping person behind the drapes of a long curtain. Kagami noted that must be Furihata's bed. Kise quickly clammed up in response.

"… Kise-kun is experiencing a trimester scare, so to speak. He's read from some of the pregnancy books that the first three months of pregnancy is the most delicate, and the period which possesses the most risk of accidental miscarriage." Kuroko explained to Kagami. "He hasn't let Kasamatsu-san step outside of the room for the whole day — or even stand up from his seat, since then. He only lets me and Furihata-kun get close to Kasamatsu-san, he would be furious if anyone else attempted to."

"Huh." Kagami uttered. "Okay, I got it, I guess."

Kise quietly looked at them, a hand placed on Kasamatsu's shoulder. "Well, you try to imagine that your pregnant mate is used as fuel to blackmail you." Kise said, tone bitter and icy. Golden eyes were flashing angrily, the pupils expanded. "If anyone tries to hurt Kasamatsu-Senpai, I'll fucking kill them. I don't fucking care. Nobody touches him, but me."

Kagami was taken aback. Was this the same Kise who'd lied to Kuroko and him because he wanted to avoid unnecessary violence? The pacifist, bundle of sunshine was nowhere to be found, now he was an aggressive, protective Alpha with a mate to protect. Kagami actually grew newfound respect for Kise, as a fellow Alpha.

He glanced at Kuroko, who looked back at him. Kagami imagined a situation in which Kuroko was put in the same position as Kasamatsu; experiencing an extremely delicate same-sex pregnancy and being kept in a stressful situation, surrounded by strangers who abducted him, just so Kagami would agree to being forced to mate with someone else. He clenched his teeth, feeling the heated fury stirring up within the pit of his belly at the mere thought. Suddenly, he could understand what Kise was feeling, so much better than he did before.

Unconsciously, he grasped Kuroko's hand and brought it to his chest, unwilling to let go. Kuroko was still in a unfavorable situation, but at least he wasn't in a dangerously vulnerable physical condition like Kasamatsu was. Kuroko looked him in the eyes, then his gaze carried on towards Kasamatsu, as if he knew what Kagami was thinking about — he was quiet. Kagami knew Kuroko was worried for Kasamatsu, even if he didn't say it out loud.

Kasamatsu and Kise were still arguing. "You even drove away your friends. They weren't going to hurt me or anything, you know that. Calm down and think for a moment, Kise, use your head for once." The blonde threw him a hurt, puppy-eyed look. Kasamatsu drew a long sigh, then he turned his attention to Kagami and Kuroko again.

"Kagami, Kuroko, if you're looking for Aomine, Akashi and Murasakibara, they are next door — Kise wouldn't let them in. They told me they'd wait there until you two come back, they mentioned they need to discuss something with us. I figured it must be important, under these circumstances. I think now that Kise's cooled down somewhat, they can come in if they want. That Rakuzan Captain — Akashi Seijuurou said it's important for all of us to be present for the discussion."

Kise gave Kasamatsu a shocked look, eyes widened in disbelief. "But Kasamatsu-Senpai! They are all Heavy Seeds! How am I supposed to win against so many of them?"

" … They're not here to fight, Kise. God. Stop with the delusions, right now. You're stressing me out, you idiot." The dark-haired boy rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking irritated and very tired. Kise panicked, kneeling down in front of Kasamatsu and looking up at him, arms wrapping around the other's waist.

"N - no, Senpai, you shouldn't be stressed out! It's bad for the cub!" He stammered, face twisting in panic.

Kasamatsu frowned, face sullen.

"Then act normally, for god's sake. Stop behaving as if everyone wants to harm me, or that I'm gonna break into pieces when I so much as walk outside the room." Kise parted his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Kasamatsu quickly shut him up.

"No, you listen to me. You will let your friends into this room — no more intimidating anyone, you hear? We need to find a way out of this place, and your friends said they can help. Stop being unreasonable, Kise. This is for your sake and for the cub as well." Kise clamped his mouth shut.

It was pretty amusing, Kagami thought, as they watched the conflict flashing over the blonde's visage.

The blonde hesitated for a while. "Okay. If you say so, Senpai." Kise finally said, resigned, still pouting. "I won't intimidate Akashicchi, Aominecchi and Murasakibaracchi anymore."

"Good, as long as you get it." Kasamatsu began to stroke Kise's hair, brushing the blonde strands lazily in between his fingers. The latter closed his eyes and leaned to the touch, grinning and relishing in it. His head was resting on Kasamatsu's lap, seemingly content. They could practically see the wolf's tail moving back and forth.

Kuroko and Kagami exchanged looks.

"I'll go fetch them, Kagami-kun, you can stay here and wait." Kuroko halted when he realized Kagami was still holding onto his wrist. He looked at him, a pair of brilliant blue eyes questioning.

"No. I'll go with you." Kagami said, jaw stiffened. He didn't want Kuroko to leave his sight again — the last time he did, Kuroko went missing for days. It still bothered him, very much so. Maybe he was traumatized by it, Kagami thought. No matter what the reason was, it didn't matter, he just felt restless if Kuroko wasn't in his immediate line of vision.

Kuroko didn't argue with him, and allowed Kagami to follow, as they both exited the room after excusing themselves. Outside the door, Kagami sighed, the air was so much clearer there, without Kise's leftover aura lingering about. He wondered if Kuroko felt it — he seemed completely fine, probably because it wasn't particularly aimed at him. When an Alpha met another Alpha, occurrences like a battle for dominance sometimes happened, though rarely. Kagami wasn't interested in unnecessary conflict, unless his own territory was threatened, or if his mate was on the line.

"It's surprising, isn't it?" Kuroko uttered, drawing his attention. "Kise-kun used to be such a player. He used to date up to five people at the same time during Teikou — justifiably so with his breed. He was quite proficient at juggling them. I remember how quickly he would change partners in short successions, gaining and dropping them at the drop of a hat. Seeing him like this, it makes me wonder. Maybe even Kise-kun can remain loyal to one partner."

"Yeah, I'm surprised too. He seems genuine, if you ask me. Didn't think he could be like that — I even needed to pay him a peace offering." Kagami scratched his head.

Kagami had only been with three people before Kuroko — two girls and one guy, so he wasn't particularly experienced. He'd dated like how normal people would; one person at a time. More than that was too troublesome — and now that he had Kuroko as his mate, he didn't intend to look for anyone else.

Kuroko looked at him, tilting his head to one side. "What is a peace offering? Do you mean the way you showed yourself when your entered the room?"

"Oh, it's old custom. Sometimes when Heavy Seeds — when an Alpha meets an Alpha, they fight for dominance over territories, or the like. It's rare, 'course. But Kise's on his raw instincts mode since his pregnant mate is nearby. It's pretty impossible to reason with him the normal way, so I had to show him that I submit to his territory and mean no harm. Or we'd start fighting right there and then, and it's gonna be nasty. It's probably why the other guys backed off too." Kagami explained. "Anyway, it's no big deal. He's just looking out for his mate, I understand that."

Kuroko looked thoughtful, nodding. "Kise-kun didn't try to intimidate Furihata-kun and I. Even though we are both men."

"Furihata's injured and you're my mate — he knows you guys aren't his rivals. Besides, you are close to Kise. He probably thinks that you're a part of his pack, and by extension, Furihata, as one of yours. And, you're all canines. You'd bond faster with Kise, than I would." Kagami said. Canines tended to flock together in a pack, as it was their nature. Felines like Kagami were more solitary, although the Lion side of him was of the social kind since Lions tended to live in a pride.

"I see. It's a very interesting concept." Kuroko said, his usually cool blue eyes glinted in fascination. Kuroko was one curious kid.

Kagami laughed. "If you wanna know more, you can always ask Kuroko."

"I'd love to, Kagami-kun. But perhaps, next time? We have something else to do, now." He reminded.

They went to the next VVIP patient room, which was supposedly Kasamatsu's room, where the rest of the Generation of Miracles was waiting for everyone to assemble. Kuroko greeted them, then briefly explained that Kise had sufficiently cooled down in the mean time, so they could start the discussion in their room right away, if they wanted to. Akashi thanked Kagami for having calmed down Kise on their way out, which Kagami returned awkwardly.

The redhead discreetly asked about Furihata in soft whispers, Kagami told him he only knew Furihata was fast asleep due to the medication.

Akashi had nodded and seemed undisturbed, although Kagami knew better — he could see a flash of golden appearing in one of his eyes before disappearing, in a second. Murasakibara looked sluggish and sleepy, while Aomine — did he just drink another can of beer? Kagami spotted an empty can on the dining table in the room. Aomine strode past him and collided brusquely against his shoulder, face sullen and smelling a bit of alcohol. Kagami stared at Touou's ace's back, in disbelief. What was his problem? Kagami furrowed his eyebrows, irritated, but didn't pry further.

When the five of them entered the room, Kise jumped up from the floor and started barking again — until Kasamatsu whacked him with a rolled newspaper, then he backed down, still glaring and snarling but much more muted now, inching closer to his mate.

"You guys can go in, Kise won't do anything stupid anymore — will you, Kise?" Kasamatsu threw him a warning look, and Kise flinched, immediately shutting up altogether.

"Yes, Senpai. I won't do anything stupid." He grumbled, purposely making himself look bigger to hide Kasamatsu behind him. The latter only sighed, for the umpteenth times.

Akashi chuckled softly, Kagami thought the sight might even amuse him, himself. "Alright then, please excuse us. We will be a bother, Kasamatsu Yukio-san. Kise." He smiled politely and nodded to the oldest boy, who nodded back. Kise for some reason, glared and barked at Akashi — earning him another warning look from his irritated mate.

"Se-chin is so whipped." Kagami heard Murasakibara comment offhandedly, grinning lazily.

Akashi arranged for them to sit closely, dragging the chairs to form a circle near the guest bed. He specifically asked them not to rouse too much noise, out of concern they might disturb Furihata — even though it would be easier to wake the guy up for the meeting Kagami thought to himself, since Furihata might want to join the discussion. But it looked like Akashi didn't want to wake him, refusing when asked.

Kise urged Kasamatsu to sit on the guest bed between him and Kuroko, while Kagami stood against the wall nearby. Akashi, Aomine and Murasakibara sat on the chairs, since there were only three of them available, dragged from the dining table and Furihata's bedside. Akashi sat in the middle, between the other two.

The redhead glanced at Kasamatsu, seemingly apologetic. "I would prefer not to put stress on an expecting mother. If you'd like, Kasamatsu-san, you may choose to leave the discussion. I fear that what I'm going to tell you, could have an unfavorable impact on your condition. What would you say?"

Kise gave a worried look towards the older boy, who didn't seem fazed by the warning.

"I'm fine. Go on. I want to know what's going on." He declared, firmly.

Kise hurriedly whispered something to Kasamatsu, who in turn, told him he was fine, once again. Kise got a tough guy for a mate, Kagami thought, as he looked at Kasamatsu. For someone in his situation, he didn't whine nor complain. He kept himself perfectly calm and reasonable. On the other hand, Kise was all panicky and restless. Seriously, who was the Alpha here again? Kagami felt a bit sorry for Kasamatsu.

Akashi smiled reassuringly. "If you're sure, then, I will try not to put it too bluntly."

Then Akashi began explaining. He started off with the internal problems within the organization, the complicated issues with Aomine's family and his uncle's predicament. Kasamatsu mostly listened quietly, occasionally nodding. While Kise, who sat behind him was listening to Akashi's explanation, seemingly unsure and confused. The blonde's expression started changing when Akashi began getting to the part where they'd kidnapped Kuroko once they'd discovered his breed and Retrograde status, mentioning the attempted assault on Kuroko and Furihata.

Akashi hesitated and paused for a while, looking over at Kasamatsu and Kise for a few short seconds, before continuing. He revealed, slowly, the plan in which Kasamatsu was taken to the institution by force, because they'd planned to force Kise and Kuroko to mate after luring Kise into the hospital. Kagami saw Kise's expression darken and grow severe, but didn't look too surprised — as if he had expected it would be the case.

Kasamatsu was silent, expression hard and eyebrows deeply furrowed. The blonde inhaled and wrapped his arms around Kasamatsu in a protective cocoon, his scent grew muskier as the explanation went on. Kagami could hear the rumbles in his throat as he growled and snarled, fangs elongated and bared.

"Disgusting." Kise barked out after Akashi ended his explanation.

"Do they think I'm gonna be okay with forcing myself on someone else? I'm not fucking desperate, and I'm not a goddamn rapist either. Those bastards have been harassing me all this time, and now they want to force me and Kurokocchi to mate? Who the fuck do they think they are, even dragging my mate all the way here!? Senpai is in no condition to deal with all this shit!" He huffed and spat to the floor, snarling angrily and holding Kasamatsu close.

"Calm down, Kise." Kasamatsu told him, oddly collected, turning his attention towards Akashi. "I knew that there must be something up, since they can't know if the cub is a wolf at such an early stage. This pretty much clears things up; I'm just bait so Kise would come here for me, and then for them to use him as a breeder. Those fuckers!" He growled low and deep, face scrunching in displeasure.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Akashi offered him a kind, sympathetic smile. "However, please do not feel too troubled, just yet. We are working on a solution to the best of our capabilities. We will now discuss possible options together, regarding this matter."

"What if I refuse?" Kise suddenly said, earning the attention of all present in the meeting. "What if I refuse the deal? What are they going to do to Kasamatsu-Senpai? Are they gonna hurt him? Tell me, Akashicchi. Tell me that you'll make sure Senpai won't be hurt — Promise me that you'll make sure both him and the cub are safe. I'll go with whatever you're planning, if you can promise me that."

Kasamatsu turned to him, dark eyes wide. Kise was looking straight at Akashi and held his bold stare, silently demanding an answer.

"I do not know myself, Kise." Akashi replied. "However, we will do our best for things not to come to such dire conclusions. We won't let that happen — I won't let that happen. You, Kuroko, Kasamatsu-san and Kouki. I will let nobody harm any of you, especially your mate and unborn cub. I'll make sure they will be safe and protected. I swear this, to you."

The redhead stared back at the Wolf, a silent exchange relayed between them, one that didn't need words to express. Kagami knew Akashi was trying to assure the agitated Wolf that things wouldn't turn disastrous so long as they could help it. At the state Kise was in, it was very likely that the blonde may just snap under the pressure of being held captive and trying to protect a pregnant mate, at the same time. Kagami realized this the moment he noticed Kise was relying on his bestial instincts to protect Kasamatsu — a risky choice.

Kagami knew, because he almost made the same mistake himself, before Midorima snapped him out of it. Nothing good would ever come of losing control of himself, he knew if he'd let himself lose control in that moment, he would've lost the chance to get Kuroko back.

" … Alright, I can deal with that." Kise finally said, after a few minutes. His gaze fell, downcast, hiding behind Kasamatsu's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Senpai. I know it's lame, but I can't protect you and the cub all by myself. I'm such an unreliable mate. I'm sorry I'm just a kid." His voice grew softer towards the end, breaking right as he finished.

"Kise. It's not your fault. You know that." Kasamatsu said, bringing a hand up to pat his head, stroking his hair.

Everyone quieted down. Kagami looked at Kuroko, who was observing Kise and Kasamatsu. He knew how much his mate wanted to help them, despite Kuroko's own unfavorable situation. He was ever the gentle and kind person, always putting others first before himself. Kagami could only support his mate, all the way, through thick and thin.

Akashi was quietly watching the both of them.

"I shall endeavor to make sure all victims are protected during the operation." He declared, determined. "I have spoken of this concern with Murasakibara. Seeing as both Kouki and Kasamatsu-san are in the most vulnerable state, he will serve as a personal guard for the both of them. Murasakibara is the strongest in raw strength among all of us. He will not leave your side, at all times." He turned and nodded at the purple-haired giant, who tilted his head and stared blankly at Kasamatsu.

"Aka-chin told me to stay with Se-chin's mate and Aka-chin's mate. Nice to meet you." He said, waving a hand at the older brunette as a form of greeting.

Akashi cleared his throat.

"Murasakibara, I told you Kouki and I are not like that. Yet." Red eyes trailed towards the direction of Furihata's bed, the brunette was still asleep behind the curtains. "Anyway, moving on. We will discuss the strategy, now." He turned his attention to the group again. Kasamatsu was looking at the redhead oddly, eyes darting between Akashi and the sleeping silhouette of Furihata, his eyebrows furrowed in realization.

" _I know, right_?" Kagami wanted to say, but kept it to himself.

Akashi then gave a brief summary of what they'd discussed back at the hotel, about Midorima and Momoi's tasks, then about the internal issues within the structure of the institution. Everyone listened quietly.

"There are several indispensable elements in this plan." The redhead started, carefully.

"First, is to provide Midorima and Momoi enough time to gather evidence and support for Former Director Daisuke. Second, is to keep Director Daichi in the dark for as long as possible. And last, but not least; third, is to make sure everyone, including the victims and the innocent, remain unharmed during the time of conflict. The elements we need to address during this operation — to make sure of its success — are Time, Distraction and Timing." He gave a finger for each of the issue he pointed out.

"Even with the best assistance from the Akashi family's IT resources and staff, several days at most are needed to gather enough information and evidence to discredit Director Daichi. Aomine, if you would inform Midorima of what you know, it would cut down a lot of production time. So I hope you can assist Midorima and Momoi, as soon as possible, regarding this matter." He turned to Aomine.

"I'll call Satsuki tonight. Tomorrow, I'll visit her and tell Midorima everything I know." He said, nodding.

"Excellent. I'm counting on you, Aomine." Akashi smiled, turning his head towards the group again.

"Which brings us to our second element. This is very crucial, Director Daichi must never find out what we're trying to do. I imagine he must have put strict surveillance over Former Director Daisuke, who is presently held under house arrest. We must provide a sort of distraction for him to be content with — important enough to divert his focus for a while, until the evidence is gathered and ready to be sent to the Board of Directors."

Akashi paused and inhaled, Kagami noticed the redhead glanced over at Kuroko, Kasamatsu, himself and Kise, expression unreadable.

" … there is also a tricky part to this plan, you see. We need to get Director Daichi as far away from the Former Director Daisuke's house, as possible, if we wish to seek the chance of him loosening his hold enough for us to break out the Former Director from house arrest. And — " He stopped, gazed down, and then lifted his jaw to look straight at them, red eyes glinting firmly.

"— and, this is difficult for me to suggest, I'm very sorry. But for this plan to work, I'd like to ask Kise and Kuroko to agree to the mating proposal."

Kagami felt his blood freeze in his veins, all heads turned to the redhead, eyes wide and mouths parted. Kuroko was also staring at Akashi, gaze blank and blue eyes surprised.

" _What the fuck!?_ "

Before anyone else could say anything, Kagami had barked out loud, temper rising and the hateful fury bubbling up inside of him. He could feel his fangs protruding against his lips, eyes pricking with intense heat. Before he knew it, he'd snatched Kuroko off of the bed and held him close, protectively embracing him — Kuroko yelped aloud when all of a sudden, he was crushed against his chest, with feet dangling in mid-air.

Kagami was snarling aggressively, arms wrapped tightly around his mate's slim form. "What the fuck are you suggesting!? There's no way I'm gonna agree to this! There is no fucking way I'd let Kuroko do that with anyone else! "

"Do not get me wrong. I do not intend for anyone to be forced to go through with such vile acts. I am merely suggesting a deception. A pretense, so to speak." Akashi quickly affirmed, still damnably composed and confident, as if nothing could shake him. Instead, it was Kagami who was tripped up by the odd calmness the redhead was displaying, like some sort of calming aura.

"Kagami-kun, it hurts. You're crushing me." Kuroko's muffled voice said, prompting Kagami to look at him. Kuroko's face was pushed so tightly into his chest, his cheeks were squished. He looked mildly irritated as he stared up at him.

"Shit! Sorry, Kuroko." He stammered, letting Kuroko land on his feet gently, loosening his grip. He felt heat rush up to his cheeks as Kuroko stared at him, a hand placed over his madly accelerating heart.

"Your heart is beating so loudly, Kagami-kun." Kuroko commented, smiling a little. "Do you hate the suggestion of me and Kise-kun, that much?"

"Of course I do!" Kagami barked out without hesitation, face red. "You're only mine, I'm never giving you up to anyone else!"

From the corner of his eye, Kagami could see Kise was frantically attempting to convince Kasamatsu that he didn't want the deal either. The older boy remained as impassive and silent as ever — even as Kise grew more panicked — as if he didn't trust the blonde's words completely, if at all. With someone like Kise, it was sort of expected.

Akashi cleared his throat a bit loudly, the two pairs immediately clammed up.

"If you don't mind, could we return to the discussion? I'd like to clear up the confusion, and explain further about the deception I have mentioned." The redhead said, smiling politely at them. Dammit, Akashi looked more amused than he should be. Kagami couldn't help the flush from reaching his face, ashamed that he'd jumped to conclusions too quickly.

They returned to their former positions, Kuroko sat on the bed again.

Akashi chuckled amusedly.

"As I was saying, a deception is required to be the distraction we need, in order to divert Director Daichi's attention from Former Director Daisuke. Kise and Kuroko will agree to the offer, however, we will prevent it before anything could happen, naturally." He restated.

"Once both of you agree, I believe Director Daichi would want to move things as quickly as possible, should you change your minds later. To do so, he may need to direct his full attention to prepare for the … important date. This should be enough of a distraction for us and drag out enough time until everything's ready. Aomine, could you make sure to inform us of your uncle's activities, every step of the way?"

Aomine inhaled and clenched his jaw, nodding once.

"Thank you." Akashi expressed sincerely. "That being said, will you two agree to this plan, Kise and Kuroko? There will be no actual need to proceed with the deal, we will put a stop to it the most immediate chance we'd get."

Kuroko and Kise glanced at each other, then Kuroko turned to Kagami. Clearly, Kagami didn't like the sound of the plan at all, even if it was just pretense — but he'd respect Kuroko's decision, so he nodded to his mate to let him know that Kagami was fine with it.

"If you think it's best solution, then I agree to it, Akashi-kun." Kuroko confirmed.

Kise scratched his head then he whispered something to Kasamatsu. The latter looked thoughtful for a second, then whispered something back to him. The blonde nodded, then spoke. "I still feel weird about it, but if it'll help get Senpai out of here, then yeah. I agree, too."

"Alright then, I will do my utmost to make sure your faith in me, will not be wasted." The redhead said, smiling sympathetically. "This brings us to the third point. The timing for this, must be absolutely perfect down to its intricate, minute details — when we vacate the entire facility at once. The timing must simply be impeccable."

"You keep saying that we'll remove the patients, the staff and everyone else in the hospital, but how is that possible? It's not that easy getting everyone out for no reason." Aomine said, crossing his arms over his chest, seeming unconvinced.

"Ah yes, the solution is simple really. We merely need to rouse a commotion, enough to kick start a mass panic — starting a fire would suffice. We will take advantage of the elements of shock and awe." Akashi explained calmly.

Aomine, and everyone else were shocked by the redhead's suggestion.

"You're going to … start a fire in the hospital?" Aomine uttered in disbelief, furrowed eyebrows created hard lines on his forehead.

"Oh no, no. Of course not, a real fire is risky — we cannot predict how much damage it may cause. We only need to set off the alarms to create a commotion." He brought an index finger up and pointed at the round, flat disks attached to the ceilings.

Everyone looked up at the alarms, suddenly aware of them for the first time. Kagami didn't even notice they were there — even though it wasn't weird at all. Of course there would be fire alarms installed indoors, it was a standard security system, and this was a hospital.

"They're very sensitive sensory devices, you see, a small swirl of smoke will be adequate enough to set them off. I remember an uncle had smoked a cigarette indoors, and he set off the alarm in our living room. It's troublesome to switch off; you'll need to manually remove the batteries from their sockets." Akashi explained. Kagami was still staring at the white flat disks, before his gaze fell to the lion again.

"However, we will need more than just setting off the alarms and creating noise — we will need to create another deception. An illusion that a fire might really be happening. There is no smoke without fire, is there? That is what we'd like them to believe." The redhead brought a hand to reach into the inner of his suit jacket, Kagami cocked an eyebrow when he fished out some kind of silver metallic tube and showed it to them.

"This is a 'smoke bomb', a nifty item for harmless entertainment and sometimes used in theatrical performances. They have many different colours available in the party supply stores — or so I am told. I had Sanada purchased one for me, earlier. This smoke bomb produces a large amount of smoke when ignited. It's recommended to use outdoors. However, in this case we will ignite them inside the hospital. The alarms' sensors should pick up the smoke, and set off, at once." He put the tube back into the inner pocket of his suit again.

"At such a dire moment, one wouldn't think twice of it being a fake accident, they would attempt to vacate the buildings immediately, before dealing with the sources of accident. Aomine, you may instruct the staff to remove everyone within the buildings and move them away when the time comes. Take advantage of the state of panic. The arrangements to move them to temporary lodgings and the nearest hospital, should be done before this occurs — perhaps several boxed trucks, just happen to carry supplies for the hospital, that day in particular? Make use of that."

Aomine only stared at Akashi blankly, surprised. The instructions were still sinking into his mind by the look on his face.

Whoa, Kagami thought. Akashi was damn smart to come up with all of this by himself — maybe even too smart. Kagami couldn't help but to whistle in awe.

"We would need to place the smoke bombs in many parts of the buildings. It's not going to be easy. Perhaps we may also want to manipulate a sort of sound system in the hospital, to create desirable sound effects." Akashi said.

"I have instructed my butler to commission professional pyrotechnicians to prepare dozens of custom-made smoke bombs with automatic ignition controlled by a remote switch, they should be ready by tomorrow — that is the least of our problems, however. The bigger problem, is how to discreetly install these bombs strategically, without anyone noticing them. There are three buildings in this institution, so it may be quite difficult to reach all of them. I would like to ask all of you, if you have a suggestion for this issue? Please don't hesitate to tell me."

Looks were exchanged and whispers passed around. Or more like, Murasakibara was yawning and dozing off, while the rest of them were discussing things among themselves.

"I can do it."

Kagami whipped his head towards the source of the familiar voice and saw Kuroko had raised a hand, garnering the attention of the rest of them.

"I've been doing my own research for a while now, so I'm quite familiar with our surroundings. I've mentally mapped all of the places I've been to." Kuroko said, slowly lowering his hand. "I can misdirect and hide from the bodyguards and staff, they won't notice me if I sneak past them."

"No! That's dangerous, Kuroko! I can't let you do — " Kagami found himself saying, grabbing his mate's shoulder a little roughly. Kuroko shot him an annoyed look, eyebrows furrowing, effectively shutting him up.

"Kagami-kun, don't be unreasonable. I want to help. I am not so helpless that I cannot walk around the hospital by myself. In fact, I've managed to misdirect the bodyguard who'd been following me since I arrived here, a number of times already. I believe I am qualified to do this task." Kuroko firmly told him off.

Damn, he really pissed off Kuroko — but Kagami couldn't help but worry. He didn't want Kuroko to overexert himself, not after all this place had done to him. Plus, what if he was found out? His mind was imagining all kinds of horrible things that could possibly happen to Kuroko, even though Kagami knew he may be over exaggerating.

"Akashi-kun, I volunteer to do this task. I cannot make Furihata-kun or Kasamatsu-san to do this." Kuroko told the redhead, ignoring Kagami altogether.

"It will be difficult to do this by yourself, Kuroko. Perhaps you would like some help?" Akashi offered. "Perhaps from Kise, or Aomine?"

Kuroko shook his head. "I believe Kasamatsu-san needs Kise-kun with him, and Aomine-kun has his own tasks, correct? I can do this."

"Wait, dammit. I'll go with you!" Kagami interrupted quickly, turning to Akashi. He couldn't possibly let Kuroko go off on his own! "Akashi. I'll do this thing with Kuroko, that's fine right? I can pose as his bodyguard and everything, make sure he's alright."

"Kagami-kun." Kuroko looked at him, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You're not volunteering because you're doubting my capability, are you? I shall be very cross with you, if you are."

"It — it's a misunderstanding, I swear. I just wanna make sure you're okay." Kagami argued, feeling like he was losing some kind of battle here. "B - besides, I can be a look out while you put the stuff in. Like outside the room, or something!"

"Ah, that is a reasonable excuse, indeed." Akashi said, nodding. "Very well. I am counting on you, Kuroko and Kagami, to plant the bombs discreetly across the institution. I will inform you when the items are ready. I'll need to discuss with Aomine finer details of the plan, so I trust your judgment for the locations."

"Now, I believe I have covered most of the strategy, so far. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask." He smiled and looked at everyone across the room.

"It is late, some of us are more exhausted than others, so please rest well for the night." Akashi looked over at Kasamatsu and Kise, specifically, then nodded at them, signaling them it was okay to leave if they wanted. "Until further instruction, this discussion is dismissed. We will refine the plans further, in the next meeting." He finished.

Kise turned to Kasamatsu, a hand caressing over the older boy's stomach, slowly. "Senpai, are you tired? Let's go to bed, it's late already."

"You're right, let's do that. I'm a bit worn out." Kasamatsu said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Kise got off the bed and helped Kasamatsu down, gently supporting the older boy by the waist. The two excused themselves to the others. Murasakibara quickly stood up and followed the two, as they were leaving the room. Akashi remained, still talking to Aomine. "Aomine, I'd like to ask for your opinion, regarding how to smuggle the items into the hospital undetected." He heard Akashi say, engaged in a serious conversation with the Touou Ace.

Kuroko tugged his arm to get his attention, and Kagami looked at his mate, who gestured towards the entrance of the door. Kagami cocked an eyebrow, did Kuroko want to go out? He didn't say anything and just trailed after his mate out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Kuroko, what's up?" He asked, then paused when Kuroko slipped his right hand into Kagami's.

"Let's take a stroll? Just for a bit." Kuroko said, staring at him with those pristine blue eyes Kagami loved. He glanced down to their hands, and changed the hold until they laced their fingers together. Kagami felt like they hadn't done this in a long time.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go." He smiled to Kuroko, bringing up their entwined hands to his lips and kissing Kuroko's slim fingers. His mate blushed adorably — Kagami just couldn't get enough of it.

Strolling late at night in a hospital wasn't as bad as it seemed, the place was completely silent, and the corridors were dark save for the lights of the nurse station far ahead of them. The warmth of Kuroko's hand made it seem unimportant, as they walked side by side, their twined fingers occupying the narrow gap between them. They didn't talk, simply strolled down the hallways and avoided people, whilst watching out for nearby noises with their keen senses. The silence was comfortable, even the shadowed darkness of the hallways didn't bother Kagami.

Kuroko and Kagami looked at each other every once in a while, when they were sure nobody was watching, and stole kisses secretly. Eventually, they found concealed spots like the emergency stairs, to enjoy each other's presence more intimately. Kuroko stood on the tips of his toes and wrapped his arms around Kagami's neck while the latter's arms looped around his waist as they kissed, lips locking and unlocking, devouring each other many times over.

"Kagami-kun, I forgot to tell you this. I think you look dashing in that suit, you're very handsome." Kuroko had told him, shyly, lips wet and plump from their kisses.

The flush on his cheeks, and the gentle moonlight peeking from the high window above them that fell over his lover's visage, made Kagami want to make love to him right then and there. But he knew he had to hold back. Kagami didn't have condoms or lube at immediate convenience, it wouldn't be enjoyable for Kuroko if he pressed the issue. Kuroko was already in a bad enough state as he was.

Kagami grinned, he licked off a trail of saliva that was trickling down Kuroko's chin. "I don't like wearing it, but … I guess it's worth it, if you like me wearing the suit that much."

"Yes, I like it. It really fits you." Kuroko's palms went up and down the front of the suit, now slightly wrinkled, caressing slowly, from his shoulder blades down to his abs. Kuroko had a fascinated look on his face that he always wore whenever they were alone in private, where he could make eyes at Kagami's body openly.

"Do you wanna see me undress? Put on a show, for your eyes only?" Kagami playfully teased, earning a deeper flush from his lover.

Kuroko lowered his gaze, blushing. "I'm not sure. I mean, I think I … would love to." His voice grew softer, but Kagami and his sharp hearing caught every word.

Shit, that backfired on him.

"God, you're so adorable." Kagami growled, he pushed his lover against the wall and kissed him ferociously, hands roaming up under Kuroko's shirt, one hand settling on his chest, teasing a bud. Kuroko gasped throatily, breaking their kiss. He clung to Kagami's shoulders for balance, back pressed against the cold, white wall.

"Sorry, just for a bit?" He told Kuroko when the latter threw him a questioning glance, but Kuroko didn't complain nor protest, when Kagami started grinding their hips together, unzipping the front of his jeans in a desperate hurry. Kagami reached for his trousers' pocket, taking out a grey folded handkerchief that came in a set with the suit. It would save them from most of the mess.

"Yes. Just for a bit … " Kuroko whispered, blue eyes shone in the moonlight, hands reaching down to Kagami's belt to unbuckle it.

—

Kagami discarded the soiled handkerchief into the nearby trash bin, he felt a bit sorry for whoever was going to find it.

After they'd tidied up, a bit tired but satisfied, Kuroko and Kagami left the emergency stairs and went back to the room. When they entered, Akashi was the only one still in the room, sitting on a chair by Furihata's bedside. Kagami noticed he was watching Furihata, quietly, gaze muted, before he turned to greet them and smiled as they walked into the room.

"Have you had fun?" He asked, a seemingly innocent question. Kagami flushed, knowing how funky they must've smelled right now. Fuck, this was one of the things that were awkward about being a wereperson; everyone knew your business just by the smell of your body.

"We uuh, took a stroll out. Just for a while to — to get some fresh air." Kagami's eyes darted anywhere but Akashi, scratching the back of his head. Kuroko only stared at the floor, quietly blushing.

"Is that so? I'm glad you've relieved some of the tension. It's important to relax, after a period of constant stress." The redhead offered kindly. God, the way Akashi put it, it just made things worse. Kuroko looked like he was about to explode, red to the tips of his ears and radiating a feverish heat.

"I'm — I'm going to shower before bed. Excuse me, Kagami-kun, Akashi-kun." Kuroko declared, making a stiff beeline towards the bathroom at the other side of the room in a matter of seconds.

Ugh, right. Kagami wished he could shower and change clothes too, the suit was already wrinkled and sweaty. He loosened the tie and popped the top three buttons of the front, quickly relieved from the stiff awkwardness in the collar area. Kagami sighed, then dropped his weight on a nearby chair. There was an open bag of chips on the dining table, so he reached out and took several of them, putting them into his mouth and munching.

At the other side of the room, Akashi was stroking Furihata's hair, gaze locked on the sleeping form of the brunette. Kagami realized he'd partially uncovered the curtains that had hidden Furihata before.

It was still bizarre to him, that Akashi had a crush on his teammate. He would've thought Akashi would want someone as high class as he was, someone from the Middle Seed level, at least. Not that Kagami was prejudiced, it just seemed like what Akashi's family would want from him; a suitable partner from a suitable lineage.

"You really like Furihata, don't you?" Kagami pointed out nonchalantly, mouth munching the chips loudly.

The redhead's hand halted, head whipped to his direction. He blinked several times, taken aback, before he began laughing softly. "Is it really that surprising? Ah, never mind. I suppose it may sound very odd to you. You have not attempted to hide it, from the very beginning. You're a very honest person, Kagami." Akashi gave him a troubled smile, red eyes darting to Kagami and somewhere else.

"Not that I'm against you guys hooking up or anything, but uh. Still weird to me, 'cos Furihata's like, really different from you, and all. And you're … you. You're Rakuzan's Emperor." Kagami tried to explain, somehow failing miserably at it.

Akashi smiled thinly. "I do not understand the reason either, why and how I came to feel this way for Kouki. It is a mystery to me, even now. It's just that — " He paused, as if trying to find the right words to explain himself.

"It's just that, he fascinates me. I suppose I have also thought that there is nothing in Kouki that would normally rouse an interest from me. However, he fascinates me, still. I remember it clearly, from beyond the eyes of my Other Self, this … shaking, bumbling boy, whom I thought had been dispatched as a desperate measure to stop me. Brown eyes filled with terror, shoulders and knees shook like windblown autumn leaves, afraid to the marrow of his bones until I could distinctly smell his fear and anxiety — yet he refused to back down. He kept on fighting, to the last drop of what he had."

He gazed at the brunette, fingers fiddling with the strands of brown hair.

"I believe — I have come to admire such determination. He had no chance of winning, yet he didn't give up to the very end. It is something I doubt I am capable of understanding, despite everything the Akashi family has given me. No formal lessons have ever taught me how to fight for my friends, with all that I have. Such a strong conviction is foreign to me. All that I have been taught was to achieve victory for the Akashi household — as it is my duty. A very single-minded, individualistic goal, perhaps even an egoistical kind, driven largely by self-interest."

He paused.

"Kouki … broadens my views. He made me see, that life may be more than just a struggle to achieve victory and perfection — that flaws are not something inexcusable, perhaps even beautiful, more so than perfectly constructed works of art." A smile bloomed over his visage as Akashi gazed longingly at Furihata. Kagami suddenly forgot how to chew.

"Do you know what he talks about in the text messages? He always asks me for advice, about how to become a better player, or what kind of training is efficient to improve his base skills, so he could ease his teammates' burdens. He hardly ever asks for anything else. Not a peek about Rakuzan nor personal favor, either. Only that. And then, now … he's put himself through pain and danger, for the sake of his friend."

His hand had slid down to caress Furihata's face, gently. A flicker of golden appeared in one of his eyes, staying still for a short moment.

" … Kouki is precious. He deserves to be loved."

The shade of gold faded away, replaced by blood red crimson. Kagami swallowed, tiny bits of chip were lodged at the back of his throat, but he kept quiet. Akashi turned to him, giving Kagami an apologetic smile.

"Forgive me, I am rambling." He uttered, politely. "I suppose I have overstayed my welcome, I have to head out with Aomine tomorrow morning — to supervise the plans and make sure the preparations are settled in time. I was hoping I would get to talk to Kouki, but I do not wish to wake him up. It's a pity. I do not mean to disturb your time together with Kuroko, either. I'll be going now, Aomine has prepared a room for me to stay in for the night."

Akashi glanced at Furihata once more, then slowly rose from his seat, Kagami didn't know why he felt the sudden urge to stop him.

"Wait. You can stay if you want." Kagami found himself saying. The lion stopped in his tracks, already standing by the bedside, looking at him with widened eyes. "I mean you're not a bother or anything. Kuroko won't mind. Also, Furihata may want to talk to you, too — The point is, you can stay." He awkwardly said, scratching his nape. Kagami also didn't get a chance to thank Furihata for helping Kuroko out — he'd do it as soon as the brunette was awake.

Akashi blinked. "Do you really think so?"

Kagami could only nod.

The corners of the redhead's lips twitched upwards, forming a grateful smile. "If you insist, then I will be a bother. Please don't mind me too much, I will occupy this chair tonight."

Kuroko came out of the bathroom some fifteen minutes later, he smelled of soap and shampoo. Kuroko smelled so fresh and clean and so good, Kagami almost pounced him, but then he realized they weren't alone. He couldn't do anything but hold back, or he'd risk pissing off Kuroko, yet again. His mate offered him the bathroom and change of clothes, Kagami realized he'd left his bag at Akashi's hotel room, so he had no choice but to borrow Kuroko's. The shirt's size was bigger than he thought, even the one Kuroko was wearing looked pretty baggy on him and the track pants were loose.

Kuroko was chatting with Akashi when Kagami stepped into the bathroom, clothes hung on his arm, eager to be rid of the stiff suit.

After a quick ten minute shower, he pulled on the shirt and pants. The pants were alright, but the shirt was a bit tight on him, his torso and the curves of his muscles were more defined with the shirt on, clenching particularly tight around the hem of the sleeves. Kagami was used to baggier shirts, so this was different, like he purposely wanted to show off his well-built body. Shrugging, he used the mouthwash to rinse his mouth. After he was all done, he stepped out, still wiping the moisture from his wet hair. He felt fresh and clean now.

He approached the bed Kuroko was sitting on, stopping just before the steel bedpost. His mate was staring up at him, quietly, sea blue eyes were wide, unblinking. Which was weird. "…? Is there something on my face?" Kagami asked, one hand was still scrubbing his head with the towel.

Akashi chuckled. "I believe Kuroko is speechless with how charming you look, Kagami."

Kagami raised an eyebrow, throwing a confused look at the redhead. "Huh? The hell are you talking about?"

Kuroko cleared his throat, a faint blush scattered over his cheeks. He scooted over, unfolding the duvet on the single bed to allow some space for Kagami. The latter sat down and pulled the towel off of him. Kuroko inched closer until they could feel each other's body heat, peering into his face. "Kagami-kun, you smell very good." Kuroko commented, sighing softly.

He grinned. "You smell good, yourself." He said, then leaned in to kiss Kuroko on the cheek. "Let's go to bed?"

"Yes. It's been a long day." Kuroko replied, smiling thinly.

It looked like they had to spoon, because the bed was pretty small for both Kagami and Kuroko to share. There was only one pillow, too. Kagami was lying on the bed sideways, then pulled Kuroko to lie next to him, his back pressed against Kagami's front. He used a folded hand to act as a pillow for Kuroko's head, while another loosely wrapped itself over his mate's waist, the palm of his hand rubbing a circle on his stomach.

Kagami breathed into slightly moist icy blue hair, deeply, the delicious scent flew down his lungs, relaxing him. Kagami hadn't felt this relaxed in a while, having Kuroko's warmth and fragrance so close to him. It was comforting.

He yawned loudly, tired, and scooted closer, lips pressed against his mate's nape. Kuroko glanced at him over his shoulder, a hand settled itself over Kagami's arm, stroking slowly. "Good night, Kagami-kun."

Kagami grinned lazily. Kuroko in his arms, safe and sound, lulled him into a sense of serenity; his whole body was filled with comfort and warm happiness. He pulled the duvet to cover both of them, tucking it in close for Kuroko.

"Good night, Kuroko." He whispered, then closed his eyes. A short moment later, he fell into a deep slumber, one that hadn't come to him for days, finally relieved of the exertion.

—

Many hours later, Kagami woke up to the sound of people talking; his eyes were heavy as he slowly opened them, furrowing his eyebrows. His vision was slightly blurry.

" … — ouki, are you awake? You can go back to sleep if you want."

A rustle of the sheets.

"hnnggh — Huh … ? Akashi? Why are you here? Am I … dreaming…?"

He stirred slowly in the bed, careful not to wake up Kuroko, who was still fast asleep next to him. Kuroko had slipped off of his arm sometime during the night. Kagami sat up sluggishly, scratching his head and yawning soundlessly. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of the leftover slumber, one hand supported his weight on the bed. He looked over at where Akashi and Furihata were, the former still looked wide awake, while the latter, was still lying on the bed, dark brown eyes blinking at him.

"Kagami? You're here too?" Furihata uttered, surprised.

Kagami stopped the movement of his hand, breath caught in his throat and eyes snapped wide, when he saw a nasty bluish red bruise on one of Furihata's eyes, swollen until he couldn't open it properly.

He couldn't see it clearly last night with the curtains mostly closed and the distance, but now he could distinctly see the state the brunette was in. Dark traces of bruises and small cuts, were apparent on his face. His lips cracked dry and split, the small wounds healed in the forms of black scabs encrusted over the scratches. His complexion was pale and sickly, raw with the redness of the wounds, his cheeks were slightly sunken in, as if he'd lost weight in a matter of days.

Kagami could smell disinfectant, blood and heavy medication, thickly covering the brunette's listless form. The medicine Furihata consumed had even altered his natural scent; an unnatural mix of chemical compounds was blended into the smell of his sweat. He smelled more like the hospital, than of the Furihata Kouki he knew, his fellow Seirin teammate. Kagami's gaze fell down, noting the bandaged arm that was lying stiffly on the bed sheets, where he could smell more of the antiseptic and blood, mingling together in an awful concoction of scents.

"Oh. Both of you come for Kuroko, right? That's good." Even Furihata's voice sounded weaker, faint.

Kagami swallowed, feeling strangely unnerved.

"We came for all of you, including you, Furihata. Kise and Kasamatsu, too." Kagami declared firmly, his own voice sounded strained in his own ears. He tentatively climbed out of his bed, careful not to wake up Kuroko, tucking him in before leaving the bed.

Furihata looked sluggish when Kagami approached the bedside. Akashi was quiet, staring at the brunette. The brunette greeted him, softly, his voice was hoarse and dry — smiling up at him.

"Kasamatsu-san … he's pregnant. You should get him out of here, as soon as possible. Kise's really worried." Furihata said, pausing, looking up at the ceiling absently. "I think this situation stresses out Kasamatsu-san, Kagami. It's really not good for an expecting mother to be under pressure like this, you know? I feel bad for him."

" _Aren't you supposed to care more for yourself?_ " Kagami wanted to say, but somehow couldn't bring himself to voice it out loud. Out of all of them, Furihata was in the worst physical condition. Confined to bed, with injuries that were obviously not as easy as he made them seem to be. He smelled like painkillers — it must've been painful for him.

Kagami could only be angry with himself, for not being there when all this happened.

"We will. We'll get him out. We'll get you all out of here." He found himself saying, he glanced at Akashi, who nodded. The redhead was eerily silent.

Furihata looked up at him, lips twitching upwards, but then he winced, like a sudden sting pierced him for a fraction of second. He looked apologetic for some reason. "I'm glad you're here, Kagami. Kuroko won't be sad anymore. I'm sorry I — I'm kind of horrible to look at, aren't I? Sorry, I'm not presentable right now." He attempted to laugh it off, awkwardly. A solid lump rose up to Kagami's throat, he couldn't say anything.

The awkward laugh soon died down.

Furihata's gaze lowered, falling to the white bed sheets. His healthy hand clutched at them, wrinkling the fabric, eyes glazing. "… I'm sorry, I'm such a burden." He murmured softly, almost inaudible. "If I didn't get hurt, Kuroko could've escaped sooner. Because I can't move, Kuroko's forced to stay here to take care of me. It's — it's my fault. I'm sorry, I'm not strong enough."

What the hell was he talking about? Kagami wanted to get angry, it wasn't Furihata's fault that they were taken by force, and it definitely wasn't his fault that they beat him up when he was trying to help! "Don't be ridiculous, this is not your fault Furihata." Kagami growled, a little loudly. Furihata jerked, eyes widened, surprised.

"If anyone's to blame it's the damn Organization who took you both by force and hurt you — you're in no way to blame for this — _so stop blaming yourself!_  You're not a burden. You're a hero. If not for you, Kuroko could've gotten hurt — he could've been in a worse condition. But he didn't, because you told Aomine where he was, and because you were there to support him when he was down." Kagami paused.

"Furihata, thank you for saving Kuroko. Thank you for being there for him, when I couldn't." He took two steps back and bowed deeply, both arms straightened at his sides. "I'm really grateful, Furihata. I owe you one, I really don't know how I can make it up to you."

Furihata was baffled.

"Kagami — you — you don't have to do that. I really didn't do much, I mean, I'm in bed most of the time … " Kagami straightened his back and saw the brunette fumble about, face flushing in confusion as if he didn't understand what just happened.

God, how could he be so slow? Kagami wanted to groan. Furihata had such low opinions of himself sometimes; he just couldn't see the good parts.

"Kagami is right, Kouki. Do not blame yourself." Akashi suddenly said, despite having been quiet for a while — he caught the attention of the other two. Akashi had quietly taken Furihata's hand in his, holding it delicately. Furihata looked confused, and mildly flabbergasted.

"And you're wrong, Kouki, you do not look horrible. You're beautiful. These scars that mar your skin, these bruises, scratches and scabs, are the proof of your bravery. They have shown me how far you would go for the sake of your friend — the gold of your heart, your dedication and your determination. Do not speak ill of them. For me, they are blindingly sublime." Furihata gasped softly when Akashi kissed the back of his hand, lips pressed over a long, thin scar on the skin.

Furihata's eyes widened, mouth gaping, staring at the redhead in disbelief.

"A — Akashi? What are you doing?" He stammered. He flushed even darker, his pale complexion gaining colour in rapid succession.

"Forgive me, I do not mean to seem bold and aggressive. However, I need to make you realize, exactly how I feel for you." Akashi smoothly said, another hand snaking up the bed sheet to settle on Furihata's face, a thumb caressed his lips gently. Furihata was still at loss of words, when Akashi rose from his seat, back bent as he feathered his lips over the bruise of Furihata's eye.

He withdrew slightly, and Furihata quite literarily exploded in many, many shades of red. His gaze was blank as if in a daze, looking up at Akashi with his mouth opening and closing. "I — I … ah, what? … huh? I — I don't understand … " He stammered, fumbling with his words.

"Do you … hate it? Are my feelings undue?" Akashi looked down, at the brunette's reaction, eyebrows furrowed upwards, as if deeply saddened.

Furihata, in the other hand, was confused and dumbfounded, sweating bullets. Shocked. "I … I don't know … It's so… sudden." He said, voice weak and strained.

Akashi smiled soothingly, bringing up the brunette's hand and kissing it again. "Would you mind if I continue courting you? I would like to know more of you, perhaps more intimately. Is it better to start slowly, as friends? I'd rather thought we have become quite fast friends already. Do you mind if I confess I want more than that?"

Furihata looked up at him, face awfully red. He swallowed, slowly, looking uncertain and taken aback.

"I'm not… sure, to be honest." He started, eyes darting left and right, before they settled downwards and locked on the bed sheets he was clutching tightly. He was red to the tips of his ears. "But I guess … I … don't … mind…" His voice was growing quieter with each word, almost inaudible by the end, that Kagami couldn't catch it. But by the wide smirk Akashi was displaying, Kagami concluded it must be a good response.

Kagami betted Furihata's mind was blown to bits; Akashi just threw a bold move there. A little bit too aggressive, though. Did he really pay attention to his advice? The speech about the scars and proof of bravery was a nice touch. Kagami felt it was time to slowly move away and give them some privacy. He looked over at the clock hanging on the wall, it was still 05:16 A.M. in the morning, he could go back to sleep with Kuroko again.

So Kagami discreetly stepped away, he grabbed the hem of the curtain and slowly dragged it, until it covered the area around Furihata's bed in a half circle, like it had before. He glanced at them one last time before he left, and realized Akashi's red eyes had turned dichromatic, one red and the other one golden. It didn't fade out like before. Kagami halted his hand, suddenly feeling cold. He didn't notice that at all. Since when had Akashi been like that?

Damn.

Kagami enclosed the gap of the curtain, then stepped away. He felt sorry for Furihata, but if he was going to let Akashi make moves on him, that meant he'd have to deal with the Other Akashi sooner or later. Kagami wished plenty of luck for his teammate. He could hear muffled noises from behind the curtains, as long as Akashi didn't do anything hurtful to Furihata, he wouldn't interfere. They needed some time to figure that shit out, by themselves.

Kagami climbed into the guest bed, crawling into the empty spot next to Kuroko and peeling off the duvet slightly for him to slip under it.

He settled himself on the bed, pulling the blanket over himself. Unexpectedly, Kuroko turned and clutched at the front of his shirt, face hidden beneath the shadow of the duvet, another hand circled around his waist to pull Kagami closer. "Kuroko? Are you awake?" Kagami asked, brushing a stray strand of blue hair and tucking it behind his ear. Kuroko made a noncommittal sound, inching closer until their bodies were touching, Kuroko's head was pressing against his chest.

" … he's not a burden." Kagami could hear him whisper.

Kagami blinked. Kuroko was awake during the talk, how much of the conversation did he overhear?

"Of course he's not a burden." Kagami said.

He ducked in until both of their faces were only an inch apart, a hand caressing Kuroko's face. His cheek was slightly wet. Kagami kissed the crown of his head, his lips left feathery touches all over his face, kissing Kuroko's lips several times. Kagami's brushed a thumb along Kuroko's jawline and smiled, their eyes locking onto each other's. Kuroko's beautiful blue eyes were staring back at him, sparkling beneath the shadow.

"Don't worry, Kuroko. I'm here with you. We'll get everyone out, eventually." He whispered comfortingly, "Let's go back to sleep."

Kuroko looked at him, and nodded once.

"Okay."

Kagami cradled Kuroko in his arms; one arm looped itself under his head and shoulder, then another on his waist. Kagami stroked his mate's hair, slowly. Kuroko laid his head on the tender flesh of his bicep and slept, his breaths growing steady and even quickly. Kagami could hear whispers from the direction of Furihata's bed, but decided not to mind it, slowly closing his eyes and deeply inhaling Kuroko's warm scent. Several minutes later, he'd fallen, once more, into a comfortable slumber.

—

Kagami woke up a second time to an empty bed.

He stared absently at the ceiling for a full minute, before turning to his right and left, feeling the sheets had grown cold. Kuroko was nowhere to be found. Kagami sat up, scratching his head, eyes looking across his surroundings. The curtain around Furihata's bed was uncovered, though the brunette was still fast asleep. Akashi was sitting at the dining table, reading some newspapers. The redhead lifted his gaze and smiled at him when he realized Kagami was awake.

"Good morning, Kagami. I trust you had a good night's sleep?" He greeted politely, folding the newspaper neatly and placing it on the table.

Kagami stared at the redhead with narrowed eyes, still heavy with sluggishness. He glanced at the clock, it was 07:10 in the morning. "… where's Kuroko?" He asked, then paused. "You didn't sleep last night, did you? How are you still awake?"

"Ah, I did sleep for a bit. Never mind that, I am used to it. I had some black coffee earlier, to help with the fatigue." Kagami spotted a white mug sitting on the table, next to the redhead's elbow. "Kuroko has gone out to meet Aomine, I believe they're having a discussion as we speak. Perhaps it is about the plans, or something more personal. Kuroko did mention to me, something about informing his parents so they wouldn't worry? I figure it is something about that."

"With Aomine?" Kagami cocked an eyebrow.

He wasn't very happy with that piece of news, but Kuroko would be angry with him if Kagami interfered in his private affairs. Irritated, he kicked off the duvet and sat on the edge of the bed, running both hands up his head and groaning. He hadn't slept so well for a long while, he was actually feeling pretty refreshed. At least he was feeling much better than yesterday.

"I can call the cafeteria for breakfast, if you'd like. They'll deliver the meals to the room." Akashi offered.

Kagami muttered a thanks. "Maybe after shower. I still gotta pose as a bodyguard and all, right?"

Akashi laughed. "Indeed."

Kagami made sure he hung the suit last night so it wouldn't wrinkle, after showering he changed into it again. When he'd gone out, Akashi was talking on the phone, he gestured to the dining table when their gazes met and resumed talking. Kagami found the table was full of food, where it was nearly empty before. It looked like the redhead had ordered breakfast, and there was a lot of it, enough to sate Kagami's ferocious appetite, and more. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten dinner last night — too preoccupied with Kuroko.

He was starving and had to wait until Kuroko came back, so Kagami sat and started eating the breads, potato and macaroni pasta, omelet, sausages and Eggs Benedict dishes. There were even assortments of sandwiches, coffee and tea, smoked salmon and sour cream. Akashi sat across of him as Kagami devoured his breakfast, mouth chockfull of food.

"The pyrotechnicians have prepared approximately 30 custom-made smoke bombs for our use, I will have them delivered here, maybe later in the afternoon." Akashi told him after he was done with his phone call, tucking the device into his breast pocket. "Momoi and Midorima are experiencing some problems — I will need to address the issues personally, so I'm afraid I cannot stay for long. I will leave the institution in two hours, and may return tonight."

"Hmmm," Kagami made grunting sound, swallowing the food in his mouth before speaking. "So, how did it go last night? With you and Furihata, I mean."

Akashi's smile grew stiff. "It … could have gone better. I believe I may have rushed things, gone a little too fast. I think I have scared Kouki, he — he didn't look very convinced by my confession." He cleared his throat, as a thinly veiled attempt to hide his nervousness. "I kissed him, last night. He seemed astonished. I am not sure if he was happy about it, to be honest."

"Huh. I thought that was 'cos your psycho persona switched with you last minute, or something. You got pretty aggressive." Kagami pointed out with a fork and chomped on a sausage, chewing the chunks of meat eagerly.

"Ah … that. Yes, I um, I did slip up. That's why I said it could've gone better." Akashi smiled, a bit shaky, eyes darting off into space. Or more like, he was offhandedly looking towards Furihata's direction. "Sometimes, when I am overwhelmed by emotion, he takes advantage of it and slips out of my conscience. It's something I have yet to learn how to control — I have been trying to keep myself in order, to prevent him from taking over."

Oh, so that was why the Other Akashi suddenly appeared out of nowhere — because the Original Akashi apparently got emotional.

Kagami thought it must take a lot for the redhead to lose control of his composure, since his original personality was as tough and cold as solid steel. But then, when it came to romance and his yet-to-be-requited love, Kagami guessed even Akashi would freak out and be shaken too. Furihata didn't look like he'd return the sentiment for quite some time though; it would need time and a lot of patience on Akashi's part.

Furihata woke up five minutes later, and Akashi moved to the chair by the bed, bringing a tray of breakfast with him. Kagami watched as Akashi set up the moveable table and placed the breakfast on top of it, greeting the brunette with a friendly good morning — Furihata blushed and shyly returned the greeting, thanking him quietly. Munching on his bread, Kagami mentally observed; it looked like Akashi hadn't made a completely wrong move, after all.

Kuroko returned to the room when the clock struck 8. Kagami pulled his mate to sit with him at the dining table and pushed him a large serving of food he'd set aside for Kuroko.

He urged Kuroko to eat more, given how thin he'd become without Kagami's supervision. He hand-fed Kuroko several pieces of the sausages and bread after he'd broken them into bite-sizes, which Kuroko accepted tentatively, although he was adequately shy about it. During breakfast, Kuroko told Kagami he went to talk to Aomine about contacting his parents and making sure they wouldn't worry too much. Aomine was going to inform his uncle about Kise and Kuroko agreeing to the mating deal today.

Some time later, Kasamatsu, Kise and Murasakibara entered the room. Kise was still in his protective Alpha mode, the moment he was inside the room he went ahead of Kasamatsu — and started sniffing around and growling at Akashi in particular, before letting Kasamatsu in. Kagami recognized it as a way for Kise to make sure the room was safe for his mate to enter, though he was still snarling at any potential threat (the Alphas) once they were inside. Kasamatsu only sighed and greeted them, whilst apologizing for Kise's behavior.

For some reason, he didn't bark at Murasakibara.

"Se-chin accepts me as part of his pack. Since Aka-chin told me to guard Se-chin's mate, I gotta be in the pack so Se-chin won't get mad." The purple-haired Grizzly told him when Kagami asked — blatantly leaving out the details — meanwhile munching on his big bag of Barbecue-flavored chips. Kagami doubted he could get a more comprehensible explanation from Murasakibara. He probably did something similar to what Kagami had done, the submission ritual. Kagami was probably a part of Kuroko's pack, in Kise's eyes, as opposed to his own.

Kagami shared his food with everyone else who wanted it, Kise took some for Kasamatsu, who sat on the guest bed, while Murasakibara happily accepted the offer. This was probably the first time Kagami met someone with as much of an appetite as he did — Murasakibara could eat a whole cow by himself if he wanted to.

Kagami made sure Kuroko ate all of his share. He noted he had to cook for his mate again once they were out. Clearly, the cafeteria food wasn't to Kuroko's taste — he didn't eat much. Kagami had to persuade him to eat more. Kuroko needed to gain weight — he was simply too thin.

At some point Aomine dropped in, and then Akashi excused himself to leave, promising (to Furihata) that he'd be back with news. It looked like Kagami and Murasakibara's new 'jobs' were to be assigned as their bodyguards, while Akashi remained as Aomine's, so he could enter or leave at will. The redhead said he'd keep in touch with them, via phone.

It was getting too crowded in the room, when the doctor and nurse came for a check-up, they were scolded (the bodyguards were supposed to guard outside the room) and asked to leave while they examined Furihata. Kagami and Murasakibara were forced out, the latter grumbling annoyed — then Kuroko came out of the room as well, tugged Kagami and asked him to accompany him for a stroll, to map the area of the building for their task.

"We don't have the items yet, so I figured we must at least plan where the locations should be," Kuroko explained. "I think it's better to strategize ahead, to save time and get better acquainted with the area. Kagami-kun, will you come with me?"

And with that, they headed out.

—

Kuroko somehow had gotten better at misdirection, even more than he was before.

Kagami served as the distraction as per usual, being tall and big and conspicuous, while Kuroko went to check the vicinity, tricking people with his misdirection. Something seemed to be different with Kuroko. His steps were quieter, almost completely soundless, light as if he was gliding in the air as he attempted to sneak into the nurse station for a copy of the staff's schedules without their notice. Kagami knew Kuroko had channeled his bestial instincts, taking advantage of his acquired, God-given features — but this time he became scentless, and his presence seemed to have grown even weaker.

Sometimes his image seemed to turn slightly transparent, as if blending into the background. Even Kagami's transformed vision had a hard time catching up with him, even though he had grown more adept at finding and spotting Kuroko over the year they spent together. Now he was becoming better at hiding again. Kagami was forced to admit, there was nobody better than Kuroko, when it came to a task that required stealth. He had no idea how his mate did it, Kagami could only support and assist Kuroko as much as possible.

They spent the whole day checking and examining the entire East Wing Building and half of the Centre Building — only returning to their room for a late lunch, hours later.

"The East Wing consists mostly of General Medical clinics, storage and patients' rooms, from standard type to VVIP. The Centre Wing mostly serves as the maternity and children's wards; the library, orphans' dormitory, executive staff's offices, cafeteria and a large kitchen are also located within the Centre Building." Kagami listened as his mate spoke, his mouth busily munching on a hamburger.

Kise and Kasamatsu had gone back to their own room for lunch, Murasakibara went with them. Furihata was having his lunch in bed — bland hospital food.

"There are places I've been to as well, like the Gynecologist clinic in the West Wing, but I haven't ventured much within that area. According to the pamphlet map I acquired, the West Wing should consist of the Emergency Department, Internal Medicine Wards and perhaps the staff's dormitory." Kuroko summarized their findings during lunch, lost in thought with their discoveries so far.

"Kuroko, chill out for a bit. Eat some more." Kagami said, offering some of his French fries to his mate — they bought burgers and fries from the cafeteria — which Kuroko then opened his mouth to accept. Kagami still had plenty more burgers and fries, trying to share as much as he could with Kuroko.

"I would prefer to plant the items in places far away from the people, but visible enough for them to mistake it as a fire." Kuroko mentioned, after he'd chewed and swallowed properly. "The places to hide them in aren't the only problem, it is creating the illusion of a dire accident that may be harder than we thought — what if they discovered there is no fire, before the evacuation could happen?" He furrowed his eyebrows, a hand on his jaw, thinking.

"You're right. Gotta be hard to do that." Kagami commented, licking sauce and cheese from his fingers. "I mean, sure, the alarm noises are gonna be loud. Maybe if we can make a little smoke go out of some windows — or coming from a locked room, it'll be more believable? They'll panic if they can't open the doors to take care of it, probably just gonna abandon it and call the firefighters."

Blue eyes lit up and shone brightly.

"Kagami-kun, that's a good idea." Kuroko exclaimed, staring at Kagami with a delighted look.

"Perhaps I can pick someplace usually locked — like the storages, or the empty patient rooms. If the keys are missing, then they cannot possibly open it. Ah — Akashi-kun said something about trucks that bring supplies into the hospital … maybe if we take the keys to the supplies storage… the timing can be adjusted … but there are possibilities … " Kuroko started mumbling on his own, lost in his own world.

"Akashi mentioned something about sound systems, right? We can do explosion or crackling noises like something's burning, too." Kagami suggested.

"Oh! That's a good idea as well."

Kagami grinned, Kuroko looked better than he did yesterday — more energetic. He was glad. Obviously, Kagami wasn't much for tactical mumbo-jumbos, but if he could help Kuroko, he was content with it.

"I am concerned if there are terminally ill patients in the hospital. If I could, I'd like to avoid giving too much shock to those patients — I must discuss this with Aomine-kun later. Maybe get a list of places to avoid." Kuroko declared, biting into his burger.

Kagami's eye twitched in displeasure, but tried to shrug it off. He needed to remind himself Aomine had saved Kuroko before and was helping them out, he had to push out the negative feelings, even though the beast in him repeatedly whispered otherwise.

No, he trusted Kuroko. Kuroko had not cheated on him — that much he knew. He was Kuroko's first, and he'd know by scent if his mate mingled with others. Kuroko had always smelled like Kagami, and Kagami, of Kuroko. The level of intensity had only faltered due to their temporary separation, and it had just started picking up again. There was no need to worry.

"Kuroko, you're getting better with your misdirection." Kagami pointed out, trying to change the topic to forget the unpleasant thoughts. "Did something happen to you?"

Kuroko chewed his food and swallowed, before answering. "Nothing very significant, I'm afraid. I have been practicing with my transformations recently. I find it easier to incorporate some of its advantageous functions to my own misdirection, a Bodyguard was following me until yesterday. It was hard to have privacy, so I attempted to … experiment. I managed to lose the bodyguard as a result, and I have been doing so for several times after that."

"The transformations are very practical when used correctly. I'm not the fastest, but with the Basketball training I've gone through, I believe I am more agile and in control of my movements, compared to heavy-bodied bodyguards who aren't trained in speed and agility. With the correct timing and the nearby elements, I can take advantage of my surroundings to outrun them. Also, since you've told me that my scent was getting stronger, I have been practicing to curb my scent and presence to a minimum. I was hoping I haven't lost it in the match with Rakuzan." He explained.

Kagami was astonished. Since when did that happen? He secretly regretted to have missed so much during the course of several days. Amazing. Kuroko was amazing, to have developed himself so far without his notice. His misdirection wasn't only misdirection anymore, it as if Kuroko had learned to camouflage his presence, with the use of his beastly traits. Unbelievable. He was the best mate Kagami could ever hope for.

"God, you're awesome, Kuroko. On court, and off court, you never cease to shock me. You're the fucking best!" Kagami laughed loudly, a hand went up his hair. "I'm falling for you all over again, I swear."

Kuroko blushed fiercely. "I — you have never said anything like that before … you're so cunning, Kagami-kun. It's unfair." He pouted cutely, sipping on his shake, red to the tips of his ears and down to his neck.

Kagami grinned. "You still like me, though."

Kuroko flushed an even darker red. "I do…" He mumbled, almost inaudible. Kagami hadn't missed anything; he was beyond pleased with himself.

After lunch, Kuroko went next-door to ask Kasamatsu to watch over Furihata before they went out again, off for some more exploration. They could only go so far, only managed to travel into several parts of the buildings because some areas were locked and needed key cards to allow access. They didn't have anything like that. Kuroko told Kagami they might have to ask Aomine about it, possibly getting a master key card to be able to sneak in. The West Wing, especially, was full of restricted areas; the Emergency Wards, Surgery rooms, even the Bodyguards' dormitory needed access keys.

Kuroko wanted to go out of the building to inspect the surroundings, but there were guards by the entrance, and bodyguards were patrolling around the outside of the buildings, it was too risky during the day. Kagami suggested they should sneak out at night instead, and Kuroko had agreed to his suggestion.

They spent the rest of the day exploring, looking in every nook and cranny they could potentially use. Several hours flew by without them realizing. Slightly fatigued they returned to their room, Kuroko was eager to discuss possible strategies with Kagami and Furihata, and they started brainstorming together. Kasamatsu joined the discussion later on while Kise latched onto his mate, but didn't contribute much. Murasakibara was quietly snacking in the corner, lying on the bed by himself and watching TV.

Akashi and Aomine returned in the evening at 7 P.M., bearing news.

Everyone gathered around like they did before — Furihata stayed in bed, but awake — waiting for the redhead to crack the news of their progress. Akashi looked more tired than before, Kagami noticed, he seemed less energetic. He had a feeling some things must've gone worse by the looks on their faces. Even Aomine looked grim and grumpy, even more so than usual.

"I have some good news to tell you, and some bad news." Akashi started the meeting, smiling politely. Next to him, Aomine was crossing his arms, quiet. Everyone was silent, anticipating the redhead's explanation.

"I will start with the positive. Midorima and Momoi have made a good progress with the investigation and intelligence gathering, thanks to Aomine's input. We are able to gather some evidence, although, we are still searching for witnesses. I've spoken with my team of lawyers regarding this matter, as well. In time, I believe we can build a solid case to sue the Director." He explained.

"The smoke bombs have been produced and packed. I have brought with me a batch of 40 custom-made smoke bombs with a remote control. They weren't discovered by the institution's security, thankfully — Kuroko and Kagami, you may start working on your assignment as soon as possible. If you need anything else, you may consult with me." He turned to Kagami and Kuroko, who both nodded in response.

"And the bad news?" Someone asked.

Akashi and Aomine exchanged looks.

"Well, I suppose its no use to hide anything, I must be transparent with all of you. However, do not think of it as the worst possible scenario — we can still manage everything, with proper planning. Despite this, we must still proceed with the plans with a cool head — there will always be some sort of error, it is to be expected." Akashi assured.

"I told uncle that Tetsu and Kise agreed to the matchmaking, he's ecstatic of course. He wants to set up everything as soon as possible, get Tetsu the best parasite and everything. He's told me what he's gonna do, so everything goes smoothly. He's personally supervising the plans, that's for sure. He won't let it fail, no matter what." Aomine's expression was hard and stiff, lips tugged down deeply, white fangs peeked out from the gap of his mouth.

The redhead nodded. "Which is a good thing, because that means we've successfully directed his focus towards the mating plans for Kuroko and Kise. He hasn't been paying much attention to the security for the Former Director Daisuke, just as we wanted. However — " Akashi paused, and inhaled.

"However, the problem lies with the time aspect of our strategy. The very initial step of it is certainly the most important." Akashi smiled, but it was shakier than the usual calm one he always had on display.

"The mating date for Kise and Kuroko, is in three days. I do believe that we have a problem."

—

TBC.

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The last chapters will be long and chunky and very, very plotty. May need longer to write.


	12. Deconstruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Not much to say, than gotta write, gotta write, gotta write. And thank you for the usual support! Anyway, even though BC will be over soon, I’m working on separate spin-offs for a few of the side-pairs, so technically, it’s not over yet; It’s the KagaKuro’s story that’s finishing up. Their story ends to open the curtains for the others, to bloom. :-}
> 
> P.S.: I got into an interesting discussion with a reader, regarding in-depth backgrounds of the characters in BC’s universe on my tumblr’s “Ask TCon” tag page. You can get the spinoff’s teasers (otherwise, beware of spoilers) from there. My personal tumblr: secretly-devious. tumblr.com
> 
> P.P.S: I set up a fanartist/doujin circle on tumblr, for all my fan artworks: http://www.circle-tcon.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> Fan service for the main pairings included! For those who’ve supported this story so far; on AO3, FF.Net or Tumblr. Thank you for reading! :3

 —

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 12: Deconstruction

—

“The mating date for Kise and Kuroko, is in three days. I do believe that we have a problem.” Akashi told them, voice laced in a sort of direness. 

Kagami let the words sink in rapid successions, until it hit rock bottom, with the sharpness of a needle piercing into the surface of his mind with one clean stab. The word ‘mating’ in the same sentence with Kise and Kuroko’s names, rubbed him the wrong way — shook him — he _loathed_ it, with every fibre of his being. Like a red hot iron digging its way into his chest, branding a scorching, gaping scar. Kagami loathed it _so much_. The anger that lied dormant within him stirred, slowly rising in a quickened pace.

“ _Three days?_ ” 

Kagami opened his mouth and uttered in disbelief. “What the hell can we do in _three fucking days?”_  

The redhead looked at him. “I am aware of the time constraint, Kagami. It is truly a shame that we may not be allowed more time for this operation. However, we must not be pessimistic. We may still be able to do this, with proper management.” Akashi assured, still smiling. He didn’t flinch nor surprised by Kagami’s reaction — he must’ve anticipated it would upset him. 

“… it’s still too short! How can you be so sure we’ll make it before they could force them to mate!?” Kagami snapped, then soon realised he was getting angrier by the second. He inhaled slowly, making sense of his own conviction as calmly as possible. He was failing his own purpose, the temper had inevitably risen to his head, blood rushed up so fast it made him dizzy.

He clenched his jaw tightly, the burning sensation was stirring inside of him, swirling into a violent storm. The images flashed in his mind were burning him with endless jealously, an excruciating shadow cast upon his heart, as if it rained shards of glass on him, piercing and stabbing repeatedly. In the midst of the blackened sensations, Kagami felt a tug on his sleeve, he turned to see Kuroko had gotten off his seat and came to his side, looking up at him and sneaking a hand to hold his balled fist. 

Kagami didn’t realise he’d been clenching his hands, he loosened them to hold Kuroko’s hand in response, feeling Kuroko’s cool skin against his heated one. Kuroko knew how much this idea bothered Kagami. They needed no words to exchange. It gradually calmed him down, to look into Kuroko’s beautiful blue eyes — like the water to his fire.

Akashi gave him an understanding look.

“I understand your predicament. We can only do the best we can, and with what we’re provided with. We will do our best to finish the tasks.” The redhead spoke again, his voice carried a stronger tone, affecting Kagami. “We have logical reasons to be positive about this. Please, do not worry too much. We are here to gather as many solutions as possible, are we not?”

Kagami chewed his lips.

“Sorry — I  just jumped into conclusions. You’re right, Akashi.” He scratched his head, ashamed that he’d let his emotions got the better of him, again. “I mean, I know I wouldn’t be here with Kuroko if it weren’t because of you. I — I trust your judgement. Please, get everyone out of here safely, not only Kuroko. I’ve seen enough what they did to them in this place. It kills me to see them like this.”

He felt Kuroko squeezed his hand tightly, Kagami looked at Kuroko, the deep sea blue pools stared back at him. He could see the sadness there, the worry and the anxiety. Kagami wanted to erase such unhappiness, make them once again clear and pristine. He looked around towards Furihata, Kasamatsu and Kise. He could see the similar emotions, laid bare upon their faces. Nobody wanted to be there. Everyone wanted to go home, to be free. 

Every other person in the room agreed to his sentiment; this was a risky plan, there were bound to be complications.

They had to do this for them, Kagami convinced himself, they needed to succeed. He could accept this, calmly.

“I see. But of course, we will get everyone out. We will make sure this plan is going to be a _victory_ on our side, in the end of the day.” Akashi’s eyes glinted strangely, as he glanced at Furihata, then he turned to them, gaze hard and severe. The brunette looked down, he seemed anxious. 

“I was quite displeased with this turn of events myself. The time constraint only adds to the pressure and risks of this already delicate plan, I believe we must thread carefully, but surely. Aomine, is it possible to persuade Director Daichi to reconsider?” He turned to the taller boy to his right.

Aomine shook his head.

“My Uncle, I think he’s suspicious. He doesn’t believe Tetsu and Kise would agree that easily without a catch. He’s been really paranoid lately — I can’t tell what he’s been thinking these days. He wants to arrange everything as soon as possible, so they don’t have time to rethink their decisions, that’s what I figure out. He’s _sly_.” He grimly told them. “I tried to tell him it’s too soon, but he shot me down, completely. … he’s planning to confine Tetsu in tighter surveillance as soon as he’s pregnant — It’s fucked up. I didn’t think he could be this cruel.”

Kagami could smell the thickened musk from Aomine, his arms crossed and expression so stiff, hard lines were apparent on his face. Aomine was pissed off — maybe even as angry as Kagami was, at the revelation. They planned to put Kuroko under even more pressure, with even more constrictions, once he conceived — they didn’t see him as a person anymore, merely an animal to use to breed offsprings. 

Kagami had a hard time suppressing the rage, it took all he had not to burst into a fit — had Kuroko not been by his side, he would have done it. He would’ve cracked, but he didn’t. He had to remain strong for his mate, but it was such a difficult thing to do — not to be _furious_ , when Kuroko was degraded so much. He couldn’t stand that someone so precious to him, be treated so low, so cruelly. This was _wrong_.

Kuroko on the other hand, remained impassive, face unreadable. Only the tightened grip he fastened around Kagami’s hold, betrayed what he truly felt about this mating arrangement. Kuroko was nervous about it, too — maybe even scared. 

Kagami wished he could just take all of them away from that place, all the while knowing how impossible of a task it was, to do such a thing right there and then. How Kagami wished he was stronger. He was only a sixteen year old kid — all of them were still kids. How could they win in a game the adults created and made them play, blind to the rules and everything else — as if walking in complete, ominous darkness.

“Please do not be too anxious, this is not the worst possible scenario; if we do our best, it is possible to beat the deadline and prepare everything sufficiently, before the due date.” Akashi offered them a calm smile. 

“Midorima and Momoi are working on their own tasks to the best of their capabilities, we will do what we can here, as well. Kuroko and Kagami, I’m sorry to have put such a pressure with the time constraint, but if you could, please finish your tasks in two days, top. If possible, I’d like to propose the idea of achieving the installations of the items, by the end of the day tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Kuroko whispered, eyes widened. “That’s a very limited time, Akashi-kun. There are areas we weren’t able to enter due to the lack of access keys, especially places restricted to staff only. The institution is a large place, as well. The centre building’s alone is eight stories tall, it’ll be difficult to navigate around just with the two of us, in a full day.”

“I’ll lend you my master card, Tetsu. This should unlock any door installed with the identification scanners.” Aomine told him, a hand reaching to his back pocket and fishing out a card. 

Kagami caught the card easily when Aomine threw it at him. Kuroko and Kagami inspected it, the latter turning it in his hand, it was a plain hard plastic card, off-white in colour, with about 5 millimetre in thickness and a bar code embedded at the back. 

“There’re some doors still using the old locks and keys though, they can be tricky to get. East Wing’s the oldest building around, so the locks there are mostly manuals — we haven’t the budget to renovate ‘em. Centre and West Wings’ buildings are newer; they use automatic locks, some are manual but mostly for the patient’s rooms. I can’t ask them to give me those, without them ratting me out to my uncle. I can’t risk that, I still gotta spy on him. You have figure out a way take them.” Aomine scratched his head, clucking his tongue.

Kagami and Kuroko looked at each other, they came to a wordless understanding; the East Wing was where the storages for supplies were. They had to steal the keys, somehow.

“Could you tell me the locations of those keys, Aomine-kun?” Kuroko asked.

Aomine furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. “Usually, the security and the nurses have them, the nurses keep them in the main staff office in their respective Wings — the office’s usually packed with staff on night shift. As for the security, the place is … it’s outside, in the security post near the gates. You gotta break in there if you want them. Both have its own risks, but I think it’s safer to get them from the staff’s office. Less risky. Maybe you can, I dunno, trick them or something.” He paused. “Don’t get yourself in danger, Tetsu.”

Kuroko nodded. “Alright, thank you for the card and the concern, Aomine-kun.”

Aomine turned to Kagami, glaring. “Kagami, make sure you protect Tetsu. Don’t you dare get him in danger.”

“You don’t have to tell me, I’m gonna do it anyway!” Kagami snapped, irritated. Like hell he’d let Kuroko be in danger — _over his rotting, dead body_. Kagami would throw himself into the crossfire before they could lay a finger on his mate, that was for _sure_.

The other teen snorted. “Heh. Talk big when you actually made it.”

A vein popped in Kagami’s head. “ _You damn asshole —_ ”

Kuroko took a step forward.

“Stop. Please, don’t argue here. You two are agitating Furihata-kun and Kasamatsu-san — be more mindful of their conditions, Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun. Behave yourselves.” He firmly told them off, narrowing his eyes particularly towards Kagami. 

Kagami only gaped at him. Even though Aomine _started_ it _first_! Realising he couldn’t win an argument with Kuroko, not when they really did somewhat agitate Furihata (while Kasamatsu looked mildly amused by the turn of event, instead), Kagami backed down, somehow he ended up apologising in soft grumbles. Aomine sniggered and smirked at that. Damn him, he pissed off Kagami _so much_.

Kuroko smiled, stepping closer into Kagami’s personal space to whisper something to him, in a husky voice, only audible to their close distance. “Good boy, Kagami-kun. You’ll get your reward for the good behaviour.” He trailed a hand up Kagami’s arm, ever so slowly.

Kagami stared at Kuroko, wide-eyed, mouth opening and closing — his cheeks were hot, mind went blank in seconds.

Kuroko returned to his previous post, along with his focus in the meeting, as if he hadn’t said something suggestive to Kagami not a minute ago. “I understand the need to hurry, Akashi-kun, however this will be a little difficult for the both of us to finish it within a day. May we have more time, please?”

Akashi had looked apologetic. 

“Yes, I believe I may be too demanding. However, there is a reason why I suggested you to finish the task so soon — I am aware there is more than just simply the installations of the items itself, to create the diversion. There are other elements to make this deception more believable, are there not?” He pointed out.

“The necessity of one day-limit, is to perfect the draft that you had set up the day before, the second day will be dedicated to prepare for the rest of the necessary elements — the manipulation of the sounds systems, for example. I was talking to Aomine on the way to the hospital, it would seem that they do have a radio facility — and a control room. They used the facility in the past, as a way to relay news and announcements to the staff, before the invention of more convenient technology.”

Aomine joined in on the explanation. “We’re planning to renovate the room recently — ‘cos classical music’s good for kids and the patients’ pregnancy development, or something like that. Got the old machine’s replaced and everything. For now, the project’s been left on hold because we’re lacking the budget.” Aomine scratched his head. “It should work — they tested it some weeks ago. I got no idea how to use it, though.”

“I believe we do need people who are aware of how these machines work, I’ve been thinking of letting some of my people infiltrate the staff’s ranks to assist us. The situation has grown urgent, I will need to use more resources than I’ve previously predicted — I will try to convince my father, should he asks of it — This is very important. In this case, the hospital’s understaffed state is to our advantage.” The redhead explained. 

“However, it may be unwise to let too many people in at a time. We need to thread carefully, so we won’t be discovered. I will have a sound effects expert on standby when the time comes, perhaps the day after tomorrow. Kagami, Kuroko and Kise, you may assist the expert, I’ll introduce you to him.”

Kuroko looked thoughtful. “I understand, Akashi-kun. We will do our best to finish the task on time. However, it may still be difficult, we need time to think of which, from a number of rooms and hiding spots to choose from, for the installation. So far Kagami and I have thought of storages, so we will also need to get the keys for the area.”

“Kuroko’s right. They need help. Only the two of them won’t be enough to finish everything on time.” Kasamatsu suddenly said, gaining their attention. The older boy looked at Kise, who stared at him back, blinking. “Kise, you go help Kuroko and Kagami.” He told the blonde.

Kise’s jaw dropped slightly and stared at his mate, wide-eyed. “Senpai…? What are you talking about? I need to protect you! I can’t leave you alone!”

“I’m fine. They need help, Kise. Besides, I’m not alone — Murasakibara and Furihata will be around with me.” He reasoned calmly, glancing towards Murasakibara and Furihata, the former waved a hand at them whimsically.

“That’s right, Se-chin. I can guard Kasa-chin and Fu-chin while you’re gone.” The purple-haired titan said, grinning lazily.

The blonde didn’t look convinced, eyebrows furrowed. “B - but! Senpai! I — I’m worried about you!”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but we have more pressing issues to address. Kuroko and Kagami need assistance for their assignment, and you are well enough to do that.” Kasamatsu reasoned, sternly. “Don’t tell me you’re going to laze around here all day long, while your friends are working hard to get _us_ out of this place safely? I’m disappointed, Kise. I thought you said you wanted to become a more reliable mate.” 

Kise looked dumbfounded, slightly panicky. “I, I did say that, but — but you, and the cub — ”

“The cub and I are _fine_ , Kise. I don’t think they’d be doing anything to us so soon, after all you’ve agreed to their deal. They’ve accomplished their goal. There is no need for them to get violent, when they’ve gotten what they’ve wanted — for now.” Kasamatsu said, his expression growing sullen. “Go help Kagami and Kuroko, Kise.”

Kise chewed his lips, he looked really conflicted, falling silent for a short moment. Kasamatsu looked at him, quiet, expecting an answer. “If you — if you say so, Senpai. Then, okay. I’ll help Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi.” He said, finally, still seemed unsure.

“Do your best, you hear? Don’t inconvenience them.” Kasamatsu brought a hand up to stroke Kise’s head, patting him.

“Yes, Senpai.” The blonde grinned, cheeks lightly flushed.

Damn, Kasamatsu was good at controlling Kise, Kagami secretly commented. Then he’d realised Kuroko was good at controlling Kagami, too. Never mind that they were the heavier seeds in the relationships — their mates held the reins over their hearts and bodies.

Reluctantly, Kise turned to Akashi. “Akashicchi, I’m gonna help Kagamicchi and Kurokocchi with those things, is that okay?”

“Of course, Kise. I’m sure Kagami and Kuroko appreciate your offer.” He gestured towards the two. The blonde whispered something to Kasamatsu, which the latter returned, then Kise got off the bed, glancing once at his mate before walking over towards Kagami and Kuroko.

“Thank you for helping us, Kise-kun, I’m glad you decided to join us.” Kuroko greeted the blonde.

The blonde scratched his head, glancing at them apologetically. 

“Yeah, um, sorry Kurokocchi, it’s not like I don’t wanna help your guys out, or anything. I’m just — I’m really scared something’s gonna happen to Kasamatsu-Senpai when I’m not around, you know? You — you get that, don’t you? I mean, when they told me he got into an accident, I — ” Kise clamped his mouth shut, eyes glazed wet, then he inhaled deeply, shaking his head. 

“ — sorry, I didn’t mean to get all emotional. Senpai’s so cool, he’s way more calm than I am, even though I’m the Alpha — God, I really gotta stop being so _lame._ I mean, we’re gonna have a cub! Gotta get my shit together. Senpai needs me.” He declared and attempted to laugh it off, awkwardly.

“It’s alright, Kise-kun. I understand. It is an unusual time for all of us.” Kuroko gently assured him.

Kagami breathed in. “Yeah, I, I get it. It’s no big deal, don’t worry about it.”

He balled his fists on his sides, quietly, Kagami remembered all those days when he’d no idea where and what happened to Kuroko, at his wit’s end with worry and frustration. Kise’s anxiety and worry were something Kagami understood well, he could empathise with him.

Kise got closer to the both of them, he wedged himself in between them from behind, hands grabbing both ends of their shoulders and head peeking forward. 

“By the way,” He whispered. “Kagamicchi, I know you’re not happy with the plan and all, but don’t worry about that. I’m not gonna take advantage of the situation to get Kurokocchi for myself — I mean, man, it’s tempting and all, but I have Senpai already. He really hates it when I play around — he never shows it though, so I quit that habit some time after we started dating.” The blonde grinned, it looked surprisingly troubled, warm honey eyes shone with something akin to guilt.

“I did a really stupid thing, so Senpai doesn’t trust me anymore. I know that. I got a lot to prove to him. I can’t risk screwing up again, you know? No need to get angry, Kagamicchi — I’m not gonna lay a hand on Kurokocchi, I swear. I only have eyes for Kasamatsu-Senpai, now — not that Kurokocchi’s a bad catch, but you get what I’m trying to say.” Kise grinned at him.

Kagami stared at the blonde blankly. He appreciated what Kise just told him, but Kagami didn’t quite understand the latter part of the speech. Kise did a stupid thing that caused Kasamatsu to lose trust in him — what in the world was he talking about?

He caught Kuroko staring at him, just as he was about to ask. “I’ll explain later, Kagami-kun. It’s a fairly long story.” He told him, as if reading his thoughts.

“Uh, okay?” Kagami nodded.

Later, they put a pause on their little chat, to get back into the main discussion. Kise excused himself after they’d agreed to discuss more details about their assignment after the meeting, returning to Kasamatsu’s side eagerly. The blonde was all smiles when he flopped onto the mattress, once again he embraced the older boy in his arms, seemingly content and happy. 

Kagami wondered idly about the thing Kise was talking about — it seemed that their relationship was much less simple than he’d previously thought, their issues might run deeper than how it looked like on the surface.

But Kise seemed to genuinely care for Kasamatsu, it wasn’t just a mere fling; respect mixed with affection and proprietorial possessiveness, but there was also something else there — something deep and dark. Kagami couldn’t exactly put finger to identify what it was exactly, but Kise’s infatuation for Kasamatsu seemed a little obsessive.

What he knew was that with such a bold, raw display of protection that Kise showed to ward off potential threats from his mate, Kagami knew Kise was serious about Kasamatsu. He didn’t know about the latter though — Kasamatsu was hard to read, always remained composed and impassive — unshakable. Maybe because he was older, the way Kasamatsu thought must be different compared to younger guys like Kise and Kagami.

“ …  … — the security around Former Director Daisuke’s home is still tight. It’ll be difficult to try contacting him, the normal way. We may want to attempt a different method.” Kagami snapped from his daze, realising he’d been missing a portion of Akashi’s explanation. He quickly gathered his wits to listen in to the discussion, feeling slightly guilty. 

“Uncle prohibits me from meeting or contacting gramps, but if you send Satsuki, he just might let her in — he’s got a soft spot for her.” Aomine told them, crossing his legs and leaning backward. “Satsuki’s close to my family since we were kids, maybe she can persuade him to let her visit gramps.”

“Is that so…? I will ask Momoi whether she’d be willing to speak with your uncle, Aomine. We need someone to inform the Former Director of what we’re trying to accomplish and relay our messages.” Akashi said, thoughtful. “Is Momoi also close to your grandfather, Aomine? It seems that she holds a special place within your household, from what you told us.”

“We were matched up when we were just cubs, so, naturally.” Aomine scratched his head and avoided his gaze, a light flush darkened his complexion further. Kagami almost thought Aomine was being _shy_. He must be seeing things; this was Aomine. Aomine did _not_ do _shy_ — he was an egoistic, shameless dumbass with a potty mouth and a creepy obsession for big-breasted idols. Kagami decided he might be hallucinating, after all. He refused to acknowledge it.

“Satsuki’s family and mine have been friends for years, they’d been planning for us to be mates since before we know what that means. Satsuki’s been around for as long as I remember. Uncle’s married but has no kids, so he dotes on her. She’s practically family. Even if we didn’t become mates, I don’t think that would change.” He paused. “The point is, if it’s Satsuki, Uncle might let her get to the house. And yeah, she’s close to gramps, and she’s a smart woman. She’ll find a way in, if you tell her to.”

“Then, I will discuss this with Momoi the next time I see her.” Akashi uttered, satisfied.

“Regarding the details on the intelligence gathering, I am aiming to gather support for the Former Director — perhaps also from the past employees who had been unfairly dismissed due to the change of leadership and their close relations to Director Daisuke. With his long years of dedication to the preservation of the Endangered Species, and his good reputation, I predict he may receive a great sum of them — nationally and internationally. That is why I need to leave shortly, tonight. I cannot stay for long, this particular task must be handled personally, by myself.”

Akashi boldly turned his attention towards the direction of the bed at the other side of the room, looking straight at Furihata and holding his gaze. Practically everyone in the room followed his line of sight. The brunette had looked surprised, wide-eyed. He whipped his head around then he quickly lowered his gaze, hands fisting the bed sheets tightly — like a deer in headlights. Akashi sighed, deeply and soundly.

“ … I am saddened that I may not stay with someone I truly wish I could be with tonight. However, it cannot be helped. There are more pressing issues to address, as Kasamatsu-san has kindly pointed out.” He uttered solemnly, his expression softened in a quiet grief, red gaze still locked onto the rapidly shrinking form of Furihata, who was now red to his ears and neck.

Kagami blinked. He could’ve sworn Akashi was doing that on purpose to subtly let everyone in the room know, that he’d laid claim on Furihata — even if he knew that wasn’t true — so nobody in the room would dare proposition Furihata in his absence. Kagami threw a sympathetic look to his oblivious Seirin teammate. Furihata had gotten himself involved with a troublesome lion.

“That being said, I believe we have come to the end of our meeting. Kuroko, I will hand you four cellphones in which you may use to contact each other. You may need it during your assignment. Be mindful that all of them are made with attached GPS and built-in radio, for emergency calls. If you ever need to contact me, you may do so. My numbers are already added into the contacts list, so did Aomine’s and the other phones.” 

The redhead gestured to Aomine, who bent his back to pick up a small black sack, tied at the top hem, he passed it around the group until Kuroko had it safely in his hands.

Kuroko untied the knot, his slender fingers dipped into the hollow of the opening and fished out a palm-sized black cellphone from the bag. Kagami looked into the gap; there were three others along with its chargers. Both of them exchanged looks, they could spread them each for their team, and one for Kasamatsu or Murasakibara, to keep in contact just in case something happened during their leave. It could be _very_ useful.

“Thank you, Akashi-kun.” 

“Your welcome, Kuroko.” The redhead smiled politely. He turned to Aomine, who nodded at the gesture, both of them raising from their seats. “I’m afraid we will need to leave soon, as I’ve mentioned earlier. Does anyone have any question? We may stay a little while longer, should you have any, or should you need anything regarding the assignments.”

Kuroko perked up and stepped forward, towards his tall ex-teammate. “Aomine-kun, are you leaving soon? I’d like to discuss a couple of things with you.”

Aomine looked at the shorter teen, glancing at Kagami for some reasons. “ … sure, Tetsu. I wanna get something to eat, we can talk at the lounge hall if you want. _Alone_.” He emphasised the last word, smirking. “Akashi, that okay?”

The smirk on his face really annoyed the hell out of Kagami, what the fuck?

“Of course, Aomine. Take your time chatting. I’d like to say a few words to Kouki before we leave the vicinity, as well.” The redhead confirmed, he smoothly excused himself from the group and made his way towards the brunette, in elegant, unhurried steps, practically preening. Furihata was baffled, like a cornered prey.

“Kuroko, I’m going with you.” Kagami insisted, disliking the idea of Kuroko and Aomine being left alone, just the two of them.

“No, Kagami-kun. Please stay here, I’ll be back soon.” Kuroko shook his head, placing a hand over his arm and looking up at him with those big blue eyes. “There is nothing to worry about, Kagami-kun. It is just a chat, I want to ask Aomine-kun about the list of terminally ill patients we were talking about just before. Please wait for me? We’ll go to bed together, won’t we? I promise I’ll be back as soon as possible.” 

Kagami somehow agreed to it. Damn, the way Kuroko looked at him — it made him feel weak.

He grumpily watched as Kuroko and Aomine left the room together, flopping his ass onto the nearby empty chair and fuming by himself, arms crossing over his chest and legs tangling. He furrowed his eyebrows and tugged his lips down, knowing it would do nothing to fix his bad mood. Kuroko had gone to private meetings with Aomine _twice_ , already, and Kagami was allowed to attend neither. Was it bad that he felt anxious and jealous about it!? 

Kuroko and Aomine had a history together that he knew little about — but he knew Kuroko was a virgin. Kagami was his first, so at least nothing sexual ever happened between them. He consoled himself silently, the creases between his eyebrows gradually softened as he remembered the time he kissed Kuroko for the first time, or the first time they slept side by side in his bed. Shit, Kagami couldn’t stay mad at Kuroko. He felt bad for overreacting, yet again. Kuroko would scold him if Kagami acted this way in front of him.

Murasakibara, who was sitting next to him, yawned loudly.

“Kasa-chin, I’m hungry.” The titan said, turning to Kasamatsu and tilting his head to one side. Kagami shot him a weird look.

“Are you, now? I gave you a bag of potato chips not two hours ago, didn’t I?” The older boy said, one eyebrow quirked. 

“Yeah, but… I finished it already. I’m hungry again. All the serious talk takes brain energy to process.” Murasakibara pouted. “Kasa-chin, do you have food? I’m starving.”

“I still have some of the snacks in the other room, but you shouldn’t eat so much, Murasakibara. We don’t get to exercise here, you’ll loosen up your muscle density.” Kasamatsu glanced at the clock that hung on the wall, he peeled Kise’s arms off of him and climbed off the bed — he brushed off the blonde’s attempt to assist him. 

Kasamatsu manoeuvred his steps along the rows of chairs. “It’s around dinner time, let’s call the room service. What would you like, Murasakibara? Furihata and Akashi, you guys too, what do you want eat? Are you staying for dinner, Akashi?” He asked the other two who had been discreetly chatting across the room.

The purple-haired giant perked up slightly. “I want seafood, Kasa-chin. Hhmmmm, seafood fried rice, lots of it, and strawberry milkshake.”

“Kasamatsu-san, I’m sorry to keep inconveniencing  you — I’d like some soup or porridge, if there are any. My throat feels a little sore right now, I’d prefer something warm and easy to eat. Thank you.” Furihata answered, smiling gratefully. He turned to the redhead who sat on the side of the bed, shyly. “Um, Akashi, what would you like to eat?” 

Akashi beamed him a million-watt smile, and Furihata was visibly blinded by it — as if that was possible. Kagami was just joking. 

“I’m afraid I have to politely refuse, Kouki. Kasamatsu-san, I will have my dinner late tonight, thank you for the offer. In fact, I would rather watch you eat, Kouki. You need to eat more, to heal the wounds properly. You look so thin, I am very concerned about you.” He suggested kindly, brushing his fingers down the brunette’s cheek, and along the jawline. 

Furihata jerked and shied away from the touch, looking confused and embarrassed. “I, uh… thank you? I’ll try to eat … more.” He stuttered, shrinking under Akashi’s adoring gaze.

“Akashi is right, Furihata. You haven’t been eating much lately, I’ll order you some chicken porridge with eggs, make sure you finish everything. Kise, you want an omelette rice, right? How about you, Kagami? What do you want to eat?” Kasamatsu glanced at him, the room’s phone handle was already in hand.

“Uuh,” Now that Kagami thought about it, he was getting kinda hungry. “Fried rice is good, I guess.”

“Extra large portion like Murasakibara, correct? I’ll take the order to the room service, the food will be here in half an hour, at most.” Kasamatsu proceeded to place the receiver to his ear and dialled the buttons, speaking into the phone after a short moment.

Kagami watched the older boy, amazed. Kise had crept to the seat next to his, dropping an elbow onto Kagami’s shoulder and watching his mate with a dreamy look on his face. “Senpai’s always been good at taking care of his juniors. Such a considerate guy, don’t you think? Even in a situation like this he thinks of other people first, before himself.” He gushed to Kagami, tone laced in unabashed pride.

Kagami agreed. Somehow, this situation was as if they were staying out at a friend’s place, rather than in captive. Friendly and _normal_. It was weirdly comforting.

He ordered something for Kuroko too, for when he returned to the room, coming up with something Kuroko would like to eat. Kagami would cook it himself if he could, but in the mean time that wasn’t possible. He idly thought he’d like to make food for the rest of them as well, maybe after all of this was over, like a celebration or something. He’d invite them over to his place for barbecue and meat, that would be a nice gesture.

The food came around fifteen minutes later, but Kuroko still hadn’t come back.

Kagami kept shovelling scoops of fried rice into his mouth with eyes locked at the door, munching impatiently — while Kuroko’s portion of the rice omelette was getting colder on the table. Kise was eating with Kasamatsu at the dining table, the blonde put half of his own portion into the older boy’s rapidly emptying plate of pork rice bowl, convincing Kasamatsu that he was full already. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Furihata was frantically refusing Akashi’s offer to spoon feed him the porridge.

Twenty minutes later, still _nothing_. Kagami’s plates were already clean from any seed of rice. Murasakibara had insisted on snacks, so Kasamatsu gave him a box of chocolate Pocky for dessert, now the titan was munching on the sticks and lounging lazily on the bed. Furihata was still eating. And Kuroko’s food had grown ice cold. 

Seconds ticked by painfully slow and torturous for him, with each passing minute, Kagami was growing more and more impatient. With jealously eventually overriding his logic, Kagami excused himself from the group to go fetch Kuroko. Kasamatsu told him the lounge hall supposedly located on the floor below theirs, he thanked him and dashed out of the room in near mad rush.

He knew how wasteful it was to do selective transformation for this kind of reason — _but screw logic_. Kagami began tracking Kuroko and Aomine’s scents when the elevator door opened with a ding, he didn’t want to get lost too, anyway.

It was easy enough to track, Aomine’s scent was somehow stronger than Kuroko’s, as if he was trying to show off. Kagami noted with much chagrin.

That bastard had better not done it to seduce his mate, or _else_. He eventually reached the entrance for the lounge area, noting there were two bodyguards present by either side of the two-leaf glass door. Kagami hid behind a wall quite far from the entrance and hesitated. Shit, he couldn’t risk being found out just because of _this_. Only now did he realise Kuroko would be pissed off if he’d barged in on them, but Kagami couldn’t help it.

He was curious, dammit. He wanted to know if there was _suspicious_ _activities_ between Kuroko and Aomine. Once again burned by irrational jealously, Kagami stubbornly transformed his ears to listen in what was beyond the entrance of the lounge hall, separating the threads to focus on the familiar voices beyond the doors. Kagami ignored the small noises and other details in the background, eagerly sharpening his senses.

“… … — cares about you a lot.” Aomine’s voice became clearer and louder. 

Kagami blinked, scrunching his eyebrows to concentrate.

“I can see it. Kagami, he loves you — the way he went on and on talking about how much he wanted to be with you, never said a thing about the danger or risk. Makes me think he wouldn’t mind being in captive as long as he has you by his side. … it’s abnormal to be that _devoted_ to one mate — like you’re the centre of his world, Tetsu.”

Kagami’s cheeks instantly grew hot. Oh God, he didn’t expect _this_ at all. What did he just get himself into?

“Is that so…? I did not know.” Kuroko’s voice joined in, sounding brighter than usual.

He heard a sarcastic chuckle. “It’s _obvious_ , Tetsu. Everyone can see it; that idiot’s not been hiding it, he’s _all over you_ practically _all the time_. Seriously, how can you be so dense?  … he makes you happy, doesn’t he?”

“Yes. Kagami-kun always makes me feel happy and safe.” Kuroko didn’t even pause to answer. “I… have never felt such feelings before, the happiest I’d been was when Seirin won Winter Cup last year. However this, is a curious thing. I didn’t think it would be possible to feel that way, everyday. Every moment I spend with Kagami-kun, I see glimpses of such great joy — I cannot find anything else to compare it to, pardon me.”

“… that much, huh?” Aomine’s voice grew quiet. “I’m glad, Tetsu. His feelings for you aren’t flimsy, at all. Obviously, even I don’t think I can beat his dedication to you, Tetsu. That Kagami, he’s _unbelieavable_. I can’t believe I’d lose to him again, fuck!”

Aomine proceeded to cuss at Kagami under his breath. The latter once again popped a vein.

“Thank you, Aomine-kun.” Kuroko said, voice gentle. “I believe you may still be able to achieve such a feat, with Momoi-san, that is. Please do treat her well; girls are delicate, Aomine-kun. Be gentle to her.”

“God, do I have to? … joking. Of course I’d do that. Satsuki’s been with me for so long, I forget that she’s my mate, sometimes. She’s like a part of me, I can’t separate her from my life.” Aomine sounded uncharacteristically gushy. It was weird. Kagami heard Kuroko laughed softly. “… take care, Tetsu. Kagami’s waiting for you, I sort of pissed him off there. He must be fuming with jealously right now.”

Kagami snorted. He wasn’t _fuming_ — he’d done that already, like ten minutes ago. That didn’t count; he’d progressed into _stalking_ — _Shut up! He wasn’t being a creepy boyfriend!_ Kagami had no idea who he just mentally told to shut up just now. God, he must be imagining things. Kagami needed to stop.

“Aomine-kun, you shouldn’t tease Kagami-kun. He gets so jealous and possessive sometimes, it’s troublesome.” Kuroko sounded irritated. “I would have to assure him nothing happened, again. It’s tiring, having to repeat myself.”

“Heh. Can’t help it. It’s so easy to rile up that idiot.” 

Dammit, Aomine pissed him off _so much_. If anything, he was as more of an idiot as Kagami was — academically wise. Kagami was better, he worked hard on his grades, goddammit! _In your face_ , _Aomine!_ Kagami had wanted to give Aomine _the finger_ , but he realised he had to calm himself down, it wasn’t like Aomine was there for him to brag to.

“And yes, it is true. We have spent too much time here, I believe. I need to make sure Furihata-kun takes his medicine before bed — although I’m sure Kasamatsu-san would do it in my place, I have to go back, now. Thank you for your help, Aomine-kun. I appreciate it.”

“Any time, Tetsu. Come to me if you need anything else.”

“One more thing, Aomine-kun. I have noticed that you have been rather down, lately. Are you sure you are alright? I’m very concerned. I smelled alcohol from you, last night, you have been drinking. I am aware your family’s problems have taken a toll on you — Akashi-kun has mentioned it, before. I’m sorry, I wish I am able to help you.”

A pause.

“I’m fine, Tetsu. Satsuki’s been helping me out, to solve the feelings thing. Never really good at it, obviously, it’s lame.” Aomine’s voice sounded muted. “But, I’ll get to it, I guess. Thanks … for worrying. It’s been hard on you, too. Sorry, I can’t do much.”

“You’ve done the best you could, I’m sure. Aomine-kun. Please do not hesitate to seek me, if you’d like someone to talk with. I’ll do my best, to assist you.”

“ … I’ll do that. Thanks. I’m glad … we’re still friends.” A pause. “Good night, Tetsu.”

“Good night, Aomine-kun. I’ll see you soon.”

Kagami heard a creaking noise and faint footsteps that gradually became closer. 

Oh fuck. Kuroko was leaving. 

He grew a little bit panicked. Shit, now what would he do? Should Kagami hide or should he reveal himself? What if Kuroko got mad at him for — for _stalking_ and _eavesdropping_ on their conversation? Dammit, he couldn’t decide!! Kagami fumbled and pondered, yet grew more confused. In the end, he couldn’t reach a decision at all, he stood there awkwardly, by himself, fumbling about with wide hand gestures.

“Kagami-kun?”

“G _wwaaah — !!”_  

Kagami nearly jumped out of his skin, the back of his head bumped harshly against the wall when he spasmed backwards, too violently. Fuck, it fucking hurt, he cursed under his breath as he rubbed the slightly swollen bump. He felt his blood ran cold — when he lifted his gaze and found big blue eyes were staring at him, weirdly. 

“Wh- what the hell!? Kuroko, when did you get there!? What the hell are you doing there!?” He stammered, a palm pressed against his chest, while another was on the back of his head, his heart was beating too fast.

Kuroko quirked an eyebrow. “I should be asking the question, Kagami-kun. What are you doing here, standing in such a shady spot?” 

Fuck. Kagami had nowhere to run. He’d been caught red-handed.

“I - I uh, I was just… taking a stroll? Ha - hahaha … ” Kagami awkwardly laughed. He averted his gaze and scratched his head — obviously, Kuroko didn’t buy it. He cleared his throat. “I mean um, I come here to get you. F - for dinner, your food’s getting cold.” Okay, that was a reasonable enough excuse.

Icy blue eyebrows furrowed slightly. “You are here to fetch me? Why didn’t you just go in the lounge area?”

Shit. He couldn’t just tell Kuroko he stayed there because he chickened out in the end, then ended up eavesdropping on them. Kagami fell quiet, face became deeply crimson and he kept stammering incoherently, unable to make up valid excuses. Kuroko all the while was staring at him blankly, neither looked convinced or angry, just staring. Quiet. He was making Kagami even more nervous. Fuck, why the heck did he put himself in this kind of situation? God, this was lame. Kagami was so fucking lame.

“I see.” Kuroko said after all his stammering and fumbling about, he tilted his head to one side. 

“I suppose if you don’t want to tell me why, I wouldn’t pry. Let’s go back, Kagami-kun. I’m fatigued, I’d like to shower before bed. Ah, after dinner, that is.” He declared, taking Kagami’s hand in his. Kagami blinked when Kuroko smiled cheekily at him, amused. Kagami had a feeling that Kuroko probably had guessed why he was there. “I’d like to shower with you, Kagami-kun. It’s been a while. Won’t you join me?”

It took him more than a few seconds to process what Kuroko just told him — his face flushed hot as soon as it did.

“I — oh, _fuck_. My head’s all messed up.” He scratched his head and glanced at his mate, embarrassingly turned on by the offer. He leaned down and kissed Kuroko, knowing they were in a secluded, shaded spot where nobody could see them. “Dammit Kuroko, don’t play with me. You know we can’t do much here. Too risky.” He growled, whispering in Kuroko’s ear and biting the outer curve, lightly.

Kuroko shuddered under his touch. 

“It is revenge, and a reward. Kagami-kun.” Kuroko whispered, cupping his face and kissing him back.

—

They returned to the room a short moment later, everyone was still there.

Akashi stood up when he saw Kuroko entered the room. “Ah, have you finished your business with Aomine? I think it is time for us to go back, he’d texted me earlier.” The redhead explained, turning to Furihata and giving him a gentle smile. He took his hand in his. Furihata had a look on his face that reminded Kagami of a frightened rabbit. “Kouki, I’d love to stay, but I’m afraid I may not be able to. May I call you tonight? … ah, no. Never mind, you need to rest. I will text you, instead, is that alright?” The redhead asked.

“I, uh, it’s okay. I mean, we’ve been doing that for a while anyway. You don’t need to ask permission, Akashi.” Furihata’s gaze trailed off somewhere else.

“Thank you, I will text you later then. I’d like to say good night, before you go to bed.” Akashi leaned down and pressed his lips on Furihata’s slightly discoloured cheek, the brunette collectively exploded in red, shying away.

With so many people still around, it wasn’t like they could do much. Kagami scratched his head. Akashi left the room after he excused himself to everyone, promising to return with more news. Kagami called the room service to heat up the food for Kuroko, as they huddled together in a circle again, this time Kise joined in whilst Kasamatsu chatted with Furihata on the other side of the room, taking care of the boy’s medication details. He did it voluntarily — after all the rest of them needed to regroup and discuss their strategy.

“I’ve borrowed the hospital’s nurses schedule recently. I think it will come in handy for us, in order to obtain the keys.” Kuroko brandished several folded sheets of paper, carefully peeling it apart and placing it on the table for them to see.

“According to this, there will be fifteen nurses on night shift at the East Wing’s main staff office, around six to eight of them will be on patrol during certain hours — 11 P.M. - 12 P.M., for the first round then 3 A.M. to 4 A.M., the night shift ends at 5 A.M., I assume they will do the round to check on the patients, which will be considerably far from the main office. I think 11 P.M. is the earliest convenience, later on would be a little difficult for us to maintain focus, since we aren’t used to staying up late into the night, like the nurses do. We can’t afford to be careless.” 

Kuroko warned, a finger made invisible line under the 11 P.M. - 12 P.M. patrol schedule.

“It is better to take advantage of the decreasing numbers of staff during the 11 P.M.’s scheduled patrol, as the less people there are in the office, the easier for me to sneak past them, to get the keys for the storages.” He continued. “There would be around seven to nine people left during the time, we’d have more or less, an hour to do so. However I do not know if some of them may finish earlier than the schedule. — also, one more thing, I’d like to ask the both of you to provide a distraction and buy enough time for me to search and find the keys.”

“Distraction, huh?” Kise suddenly perked up, smirking widely. “I can do that. They’re nurses, right? Women? We can totally take them on, Kagamicchi!” He elbowed Kagami lightly on the side, winking at him for some reasons.

Kagami cocked an eyebrow. “Huh?? Me? Why the hell do I have to do that?” 

“Of course, who else is there to do it but you and me? Kagamicchi, with how you look right now, they’d _swoon_ to you. I mean, you’re a Heavy Seed! You got the pheromone, body and face — that suit does wonders to your silhouette, already. I bet you’ll be a hit with the older ladies. They like manly guys like you, Kagamicchi.” Kise didn’t sound like he was just in it to tease him, he actually seemed serious — albeit in Kise way of showing it. 

Kagami gaped and stared at the blonde, wide-eyed.

“Wait, what? You mean to _seduce_ them?” He stuttered in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? I don’t do that shit to just _random_ people!”

“It’s not for real, Kagamicchi, _duh_. It’s to give Kuroko a distraction, to sneak past them. We just gotta chat ‘em up for like, twenty or thirty minutes — wait, is that alright, Senpai? I’m not hitting on them for fun, I swear! It’s for the plan! I love only you, I promise!” Kise looked over his shoulder and shouted loud enough for his mate across the room to hear. Kasamatsu lifted his gaze, furrowed his eyebrows and shrugged nonchalantly, turning to Furihata again to resume their chat.

The blonde whipped his head back to them, grinning. “Anyway, is that okay with you too, Kurokocchi? For Kagami to seduce those nurses?”

Shit, Kuroko wouldn’t get angry at Kagami because of this, right? He slowly looked at his mate, waiting for any negative response.

Kuroko was staring at him, face blank and devoid of emotions — too unreadable for comfort. Kagami usually could tell what Kuroko was feeling, but now he couldn’t, at all. He shifted in his seat slightly, uncomfortable, the way Kuroko fell quiet for a moment was unnerving.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” Kuroko finally said, tone oddly bland. “Please provide a distraction, and keep it up for as long as possible. We are moving out, tonight. We must prepare ourselves.”

Kagami felt a little relieved by the confirmation. At least it didn’t look like Kuroko was too bothered or annoyed by it, this was just for the plan after all. He did feel a bit disappointed, like it was Kagami who always got jealous, Kuroko never seemed to react to anything — it couldn’t be helped. Kuroko wasn’t the most expressive guy Kagami knew. Kagami secretly sighed — maybe he still needed to work harder for Kuroko to finally feel the same way for Kagami.

“Let’s not forget the phones Akashi-kun provided us, I’d like to spread it to our group — and one for Kasamatsu-san and Murasakibara-kun, too.” Kuroko grabbed the small sack from the nearby nightstand, untying the knot and fishing out the contents. He handed one to Kagami and Kise each, then he stood up to walk over towards Kasamatsu for his, staying there to explain what they were going to do.

Kagami inspected his phone. It was pretty small in his big hand, probably only useable for communication and lacked of unnecessary apps, unlike smartphones. Kagami idly remembered he’d left his in Akashi’s hotel room, along with his clothes. Akashi said something about emergency call via radio and GPS? The device was probably more high tech than it looked. A deception embodiment, just like the redhead’s style. He pocketed the mobile phone into his trouser.

He noticed Kise stood up as Kuroko returned, he approached Kasamatsu’s side, and began talking with the older boy. Kagami dropped his jaw and Kuroko’s eyes widened, when the blonde leaned down, embraced Kasamatsu and boldly kissed him, in front of everyone — well, everyone but Murasakibara, who only glanced at them once and then went back to watching the TV, disinterested.

Furihata’s face was red — being in close proximity with them — he quickly averted his eyes and looked at Kagami and Kuroko, mouth moving and head shaking slightly. All three of them came to a silent mutual understanding and averted their eyes too, Kagami cleared his throat as he looked at the ceilings and Kuroko stared at his own lap. Awkward. 

He sneaked a peek at them; Kasamatsu hit the blonde’s shoulder until Kise staggered backwards, his face flushed and eyebrows furrowed deeply, mouthing something that sounded like “ … you idiot!” But then quietly added. “Be careful, and come back safely.” Kise was grinning extra widely there.

The blonde practically skipped on his way back. 

“Okay guys, I’m ready! I got Senpai’s good luck kiss and all.” He gushed, radiating glee.

“God, are you even _listening_ to yourself?” Kagami resisted the urge to facepalm, feeling embarrassed for Kasamatsu. Kise was _shameless_. 

If it were Kagami who did that in public, Kuroko would’ve gut-punched the shit out of him. Kise was lucky to have gotten away with just one hit on the shoulder — Kasamatsu sure spoiled the blonde. Japanese culture was pretty reserved, no PDA whatsoever as far as what he’d seen, unlike in the US. Kuroko disliked it if Kagami acted too familiarly in public, unless there were’t other people around.

“Should we head out now? We can inspect the surroundings, first.” Kuroko suggested, raising from his seat.

“Wait,” Kasamatsu suddenly said, everyone turned their attention to him. The older boy approached them, his expression hardened. “Are you sure you want to go out in a group, all three of you? They’d get suspicious. There’s a security camera overlooking the hallway, outside. I saw it yesterday. I’m guessing they have those everywhere.” He told them, a thumb pointed over his shoulder, at the entrance of the room.

Kagami froze.

Security camera. Why didn’t he think of that? 

Kagami and Kuroko exchanged looks, the latter’s expression fell to a certain degree of tight intensity, lips stiff and eyes widened in realisation. They knew they had both been careless. They were much more cautious during the day — but just the night before, they’d sneaked out together, walked hand in hand and kissed, even went to the emergency fire escape to — _shit_. Kagami realised what a deep shit they could be in. If the staff could see everything via the security camera, they could’ve possibly been found out, already. 

“It … should be alright, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko whispered to him. “Nobody has approached us yet, maybe they didn’t see anything. Maybe they’ve missed it. They are understaffed presently, it is possible.” He’d assured Kagami, tugging on his sleeve.

“I hope so.” Kagami replied, fingering a stray strand of blue hair and tucking it behind his ear. Now he was the one needing assurance from his mate, Kuroko wasn’t the only one worried. Anything could go wrong at this point. He felt anxious. Kagami shook his head, no, he wouldn’t think negatively now. He’d fight with every inch of what he had to get Kuroko back to their normal lives.

“There’s no helping what has happened — we must do our best and be more careful, in the future. We can’t afford the time to hesitate, the plan must proceed. Kasamatsu-san is right, we can’t go out all at once. Kagami-kun, you should go first. You know where to go, right? I’ll be there shortly. Don’t worry, I won’t get caught.” Kuroko told him.

“Kise-kun, you can use scent-tracking to know where Kagami is going, can you? Please do so, and go second. We’ll keep the interval of our departure, each between ten to fifteen minutes. We still have plenty of time before 11 P.M.” It was still 09:05 P.M., they didn’t necessarily need to rush — but they could at least be more prepared on the way there.

“Got it, Kurokocchi. Leave it to me.” Kise, who was standing to Kasamatsu’s side, replied easily. 

Kagami brushed his fingers along Kuroko’s jaw. “Kuroko, be careful.” He whispered, staring into those blue eyes. “Call me when you need me. I’ll be with you. Always.”

“Ever the romantic, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko smiled, gazing at Kagami. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”

“I trust you, alright. I’m just … worried. I don’t want to feel that way again, when I thought I’d lost you. It’s a horrible thing.” Kagami admitted, voice low. His chest was pierced with a similar pain, every time he remembered, the desperation and the frustration — _the_ _anger_. The memories were still fresh in his mind, branded and carved upon the surface of his psyche with a blazing heat.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Kagami-kun. You must be careful, as well.”

Kagami went out first, closing the door behind him.

He looked up and gazed along the ceilings of the hall, he found a camera attached at a corner above the door to Kasamatsu’s room, staring at him with its beady mechanical lens. Kagami growled in displease. There was barely any privacy here, cooped up like an animal and treated like a damn prisoner, was this the kind of life they were offering Kuroko? A fucking lunatic, delusional option. He couldn’t stand these people, loathed them.

Kagami wanted badly to just fly into a rage and _destroy_ everything that stood between him and his mate; a mental image that brought him a sense of comfort — even though he knew violence was not the answer, neither was it a realistic, effective solution — but Kagami wouldn’t hesitate if it was for Kuroko’s freedom. He’d fight for it. For now, staying calm and reasonable, was also for Kuroko’s sake. He’d endure.

Frowning, Kagami began walking away, hands stuffed into the pockets of his trousers. 

He retraced the steps to front of the staff office on the first floor, where he and Kuroko had gone to, just a few hours before. He rode the elevator, walked past the closed apothecary and the main lobby, the sight of a nurse station quickly came to his vision, supposedly the office was there as well, at the back — the office was bigger than the rest at the other floors, enough to fit multiple people comfortably. There were only three to four staff in the other nurse stations.

The corridors were dark, the unused lights were turned off. It was silent and eerie, smelled heavily of chemical drugs, pure alcohol and disinfectant — awful combination. As unpleasant, as ever. He was growing to dislike hospitals — he knew it wasn’t rational, but being cooped up inside for so long under duress, had affected him over time. Kagami didn’t know how Kuroko, Furihata and Kasamatsu could endure it for so long.

Kagami stopped a little ways before reaching the station, hid himself behind a wall at an empty guest area nearby and waited. It was a blind spot for the security camera. The clock on the wall ticked, second by second, minutes passed by slowly. He watched the lit up hallway towards the nurse station and sharpened his hearing to listen in, in case anyone was around to discover him.

Around ten minutes or so later, Kise appeared from one end of the corridor, from the elevator area, walking closer. The blonde joined Kagami, standing towards the inner side of the guest waiting area, next to him.

“Okay, Kurokocchi said he’s coming in a bit. We can do our own prep now.” Kise declared, inspecting Kagami, eyes going up and down like Kagami was some kind of a product on display. “Kagamicchi, we gotta make you look hotter. Here, let me do it.” The blonde said, a hand cupping his chin.

Without his permission, Kise smoothly loosened the silk tie and pulled it off of his head — meanwhile Kagami resisted the urge to yell out “what the hell!?” and gaped at him, as the blonde popped a few buttons of the shirt’s front, peeling the collar apart to reveal the bridge of his collarbone and the tendons of his neck, and a part of his chest. The blonde took a few steps back to inspect his handiwork. 

“Hmm, the jacket’s too stiff. Take it off, Kagamicchi.”

Again, without asking for permission whatsoever, Kise just went and pulled his suit jacket off of Kagami, spinning him around in the process. Later he placed it on the nearby chair. Kagami, slightly dizzy, just glared at the blonde, who didn’t seem to notice it — or maybe purposely ignored him, too engrossed in his little task.

“Okay, next … let’s show off those biceps.” 

 _Screw permission_ — Kagami decided to let the blonde do whatever, exasperated. Kise popped the buttons of his cuffs and rolled the sleeves all the way up, until just above the elbows. The rolled up sleeves strained against the muscles of Kagami’s forearms, making them seem bulky and shapely. The cotton fabric rippled around his limbs in circular waves, wrinkled and a bit messy. 

Kise grinned in satisfaction, looking at Kagami up and down. “Right. Let’s do something with your hair too. You kinda look too young like that, the ladies will notice. Unless they’re cougars looking for young cubs, of course — If you know what I mean.” He winked for good measure. “I’m playing the idol-like pretty boy, you’re the manly guy. In case they like you better.”

Kagami grimaced. “You’re having too much fun with this, seriously … ”

Kise sniggered and winked at him, _again_ , making Kagami cringe. “I’ve been found out? Don’t worry Kagamicchi, I know what I’m doing. Acting’s part of modelling, these days. So does self-styling.”

The blonde brandished a small bottle of hair gel, seemingly out of nowhere. Kise pushed him to sit on one of the chairs, then proceeded to squeeze a hefty amount of the liquid into his hand, evenly spreading it on his palms and grinning. The shadow of the darkened room fell upon the blonde’s visage, making Kise look somewhat devilish and scary. 

Kagami gulped, tightened his jaw and clenched his eyes shut in anticipation. He flinched when he felt cold, slick fingers touching his forehead and brushing his hair from front to back, in repeated motions. He nearly jumped when he felt a little bit of the icy slickness brushing against his eyebrows, body stiffened rigid.

“Okay, I’m done.” Kagami opened one eye and saw Kise was wiping his hands with a tissue. He blinked. Well, that was quick and surprisingly painless. He’d thought it would take longer, at least.

The blonde was staring at him with an odd look of fascination. Kagami fidgeted under his stare. “Gosh, Kagamicchi, do you look _hot_ — not exactly my type, but the ladies are going to love you! I wonder how Kurokocchi will react to your makeover?” Kise looked mighty pleased with himself, hands akimbo and nose tilted upwards. Golden honey eyes glinted mischievously.

There wasn’t a mirror or something reflective around, so Kagami couldn’t exactly check out the result. He brought a hand to touch his hair, most of the strands had hardened and greasy with the gel. The hair was pushed back neatly, but not completely flattened, Kise had given him some sort of pompadour, but not too much. Kagami wondered how he looked like right then. By Kise’s testimony, he supposed he looked fine enough, at least for the mission. He was actually feeling better without the stiff collar and jacket, thank god. It was hard enough to move around in the suit. 

Kagami started missing his shorts and baggy shirts — and basketball. He felt his muscles had grown stiff with inactivity.

“What are you guys doing?”

Kagami nearly yelped when Kuroko appeared next to him, all of the sudden. 

He managed to clamp his mouth shut in the end. The latter blinked and stared at him, eyes blank, as Kagami clutched at his loudly beating chest. Seriously, Kuroko was getting better and better with this camouflage business. That was twice in a few hours! And it was nighttime, dammit, it was harder to see in the darkness, especially difficult to track Kuroko with his scentless body and soundless steps. He was like a literal _ghost_. Kagami shivered involuntarily.

"Geez, Kuroko! Stop doing that shit! I almost yelled — could’ve given away our position!” He chastised his mate, as quietly as possible.

“I … apologise. I, um, I won’t do it again.” Kuroko looked away when he said it, head lowered and expression hidden behind long fringe. 

Kagami raised an eyebrow. Wait, he wasn’t being too harsh on Kuroko, was he? He was about to ask, but Kuroko cut him off first, already in business mood. “It’s still around an hour before 11 P.M., we may observe the situation, for now.” He said, blue eyes gazed far off, orange tints dancing over the surface of the azure sky.

During the wait, Kuroko asked Kise to pipe down his presence for a bit, he began teaching him how to do it, in case they’d need his help for the smoke bombs installation. 

Meanwhile Kagami kept a watch over the nurse station, waiting until the nurses started going out for a round of patrol. Kise, with his copy ability, absorbed what Kuroko taught him fairly quickly — although not exactly getting there just yet. Kagami could still smell Kise’s flashy scent (he probably used some kind of branded aftershave or cologne), his presence was still too conspicuous to use the misdirection properly, let alone the camouflage. Kuroko huffed and sighed, annoyed, when Kise made light of his lessons, which the latter did several times over, seemingly on purpose.

Kuroko told the blonde to wash up and not to use any kind of scented products for tomorrow’s tasks, and Kise had pouted at that, but agreed regardless. Kagami glanced at them in between the lookout, amused by the sight.

The clock on the wall hit 10:55 P.M., Kagami’s keen hearing caught the sounds of a door knob slowly turned, the gears rotated, shifted and clicked. He shushed them then, Kuroko and Kise immediately went silent, their breaths quietened in anticipation.

Footsteps hit the porcelain floors, resonating throughout the empty corridors with chattering of people, some female and some male. 

Kagami backed away slowly, he no longer used his eyes, but his ears instead, as he listened in. He stepped away from the light, deeper into the blackened shadow of a corner, where Kuroko and Kise were standing by, already sufficiently hidden in the darkness. They stayed still and paused. Kuroko’s presence vanished, even when he was standing next to Kagami, while Kise’s presence weakened slightly, though he still smelled like the aftershave.

Kagami did his best to remain undetected, halting his breath. One, two and three nurses, male and female, passed the lightened corridor, unaware of them. Kuroko counted with a soft voice. Only three so far, they’d have to wait until at least six of them were out. The group of three eventually left the vicinity, their voices and footsteps disappearing into the background.

They waited, for around five to eight minutes, the noises emerged and echoed into the empty space again, then more people went past the corridor. Two. Then another pair, after ten minutes. That was already seven people out. Kagami looked over his shoulder to check with Kuroko, the latter nodded, showing him the master key card he’d gotten from Aomine, in case the door was locked electronically. Kise also nodded, stepping forward to Kagami’s side. 

The blonde pulled off his sweater, he was wearing a white button-up shirt and jeans underneath. Kagami looked at him weirdly, as Kise popped a few buttons off his front, and messed up his hair. Kuroko tugged at Kagami’s wrist, diverting his attention. 

“It’s best not to think about it. Kise-kun’s the best at using his sex appeal to manipulate the crowd. We’d better leave him be.” Kuroko told him, finally looking at Kagami in the eyes. He hadn’t done that for about an hour there. “And … Kagami-kun, you look … different. What happened?” He asked, almost shyly. 

“Oh, this. Kise did it, said it’ll make me more appealing to the nurses or something — do I look weird? I can’t tell. There’s no mirror or anything like that.” He asked, pulling up the shirt sleeve that had gotten loose somewhat. The hems felt a little tight around his biceps. Kagami folded and unfolded his arm, trying to loosen up the fabric. He got to prepare himself for the tactic — no need to get too used to it, it was probably only for thirty minutes, top.

Kuroko’s blue eyes were locked on him, unblinking. “Kuroko? What’s wrong?” Kagami raised an eyebrow. “We gotta go now, are you ready?”

“Ah — yes, of course. I am ready. You and Kise-kun may go now, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko replied in a snap and avoided his gaze, seemingly concentrating on his task.

Kagami breathed in and out, cracking his neck left and right. While seducing random people wasn’t really his thing, he’d only need to pretend, maybe, that he was trying to seduce Kuroko — like acting. He could do this. Right. It couldn’t be that hard. Kagami cleared his throat as Kise worked on his last minute tidying up, humming to himself.

“Alright, I’m done, Kagamicchi. Let’s go!” The blonde declared, his hair lightly teased with the hair gel, one part of his fringe pushed back, leaving only half of it framing part of his face. His shirt was untidy, the buttons of his front were off all the way down his chest. Kagami seriously wondered how’d Kise managed to do that without a mirror, maybe it was because of his modelling experience.

“O - okay, got it. I’m ready.” Kagami stuttered and huffed, a bit nervous. Kuroko. He only needed to think of them as Kuroko. He could do this.

Kise elbowed him lightly, stepping into the light first. Kagami hesitantly followed him, Kuroko stayed back in the shades. Casually, the blonde sauntered towards the nurse station and rang the bell on the table, waving to Kagami to quickly follow, which he did, now standing next to Kise, awkwardly. They could see the main office in full view, a large glass window separated the outside and the inside, there were around six people in there, four women and two men, dressed in blue scrubs. The entrance was just in the inner corner of a small corridor next to the large reception table.

A young woman came into the counter, and Kise suddenly changed. His tone of voice became husky and sweet, honeyed words flew out of his mouth, smooth as silk. Golden brown eyes narrowed and eyebrows raised, glancing sensuously at the young lady.

“Good evening. I am a family member of a patient who’s staying here, I was hoping you can help me with something?” His scent grew thickened, wafting in the air like a perfume. Kagami almost had to pinch his nose to prevent its access. It seemed to work, as his pheromone entered the narrow opening of the glass door, and the young nurse stared at Kise, enthralled.

“I — I’m sorry, I’m new here. I can call the head nurse, if you need anything. B - but she’s currently on patrol … ” She stammered, face red. Kagami was amazed at how quickly she reacted to Kise’s woo. And did she just say she was newly hired? Some of the other nurses seemed fairly young too. Just like what Aomine told them, they were new staff. This could make things easier, Kagami thought.

“Oh, but I do think you’re enough to help me, Ms. Nurse. Or should I call you Ms. Kinoshita Sakura?” The blonde peeked at her name tag, casually calling her by her name and smiling sweetly. 

One look, and Kagami knew she was a goner. “Oh my, I’m sorry — I’m really not qualified, or - or experienced enough to assist you. P - perhaps I can ask some of my colleagues? They may be able to help.”

“Only if you stay, too. I still want to chat with you, Ms. Sakura, we can get to know one another better, don’t you think? The night’s gonna be _long_ and boring, after all. What time do you finish your shift? We can hangout when you’re done working.” Kise winked at her suggestively, musk thickened and spread out. 

The young nurse squealed loudly, in a high-pitched sound, earning the interests of her fellow young co-workers. Maybe Kise’s pheromones had reached them, maybe it was the smooth talk, or maybe it was Kise’s unusually seductive appearance. Now more than half of them were staring at both Kise and Kagami. Wow, this was really working. Kise was _good_.

When two more of the young nurses, a girl and a guy, Kise smoothly manoeuvred the conversation and strayed from the initial question. Instead of the topic about the ‘help’ he needed, he’d asked them about the hospital instead, drawing out the information that they were all newly hired by the hospital. All freshly graduated this year or the previous year, barely had any experience. Kise got everything under control with those three young nurses. 

Their chat got loud, rousing the interests of the older nurses, they all still looked somewhat young — maybe around late 30’s or early 40’s. Kagami assumed one of them got annoyed by the noise the new interns were gushing, she went as far as to go outside of the office to reprimand them in person. A bespectacled female nurse in her early 30’s with hair tied into a tight bun at the back of her head, stood in front of Kagami, looking up at him and scrunching her face in displease. 

Kagami noticed the door was still slightly opened and Kuroko was sneaking nearby, almost invisible. Kise was occupying the other three’s interests. Kagami gulped, he realised this time he had to do this himself.

Meanwhile the older nurse threw a dirty look at Kise and the newbie nurses, seemingly unimpressed by him.

“Excuse me, you’re disturbing the peace. Please state your business here clearly, or leave the vicinity.” The nurse nudged up the bridge of her glasses, huffing irritatedly. 

She was rather short, shorter than Kuroko, but Kagami forced himself to imagine it was Kuroko standing in front of him. This was going to be a challenge for him.

“I - I’m really sorry Miss, we were just — ” Kagami stuttered, fumbling with the choice of words. “ — we were bored. We thought we wanted to explore the place since m - mother’s sleeping. I mean my mother is staying here for recovery.” 

At the corner of his eyes, he could see Kuroko’s bent form, slowly and soundlessly trailing across the wall, just a little farther behind the older nurse.

The nurse raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, really? Which room do you belong to, Sir? I’d like to know her name, so I may check in the database — you’re not supposed to walk around the vicinity during the night. You will disturb the patients — as you are already interrupting the staffs on duty.” 

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the other three, who were all too enthralled by the blonde’s adventurous tales, Kise didn’t attempt to help Kagami, because he was already occupied with the younger nurses. He needed to keep up the distraction. Kagami had to handle this one by himself.

Fuck, if Kagami answered with a random name, the nurse would go in and check the name of a non-existent patient, Kuroko wouldn’t be able to get the keys and they’d be found out. They couldn’t afford to retreat and try again later, there was no time. Kuroko almost reached the door, too. Kagami chewed his lips, suddenly greatly focused as if he was in the Zone, the gears in his head turning and rotating. He could see his goals and how to achieve it. He had to go for it. 

Inhaling sharply, Kagami stepped forward, releasing his pheromones like Kise did. The nurse’s eyes widened, Kagami heard her breath hitched and paused, then she stepped back, until her back pressed against the wall. Kagami used his entire height to loom over her petite body, bringing both of his arms up and outstretching his palms towards the wall, pressing and entrapping her in the cramped space of his arms. She let out a tiny shriek, staring up at him and flushing.

In his head, Kagami was seeing Kuroko — forcing himself to imagine so, at least. She looked different — the wrong hair colour, the wrong scent, the wrong complexion and the wrong pair of eyes. Still, he endured. He glanced to his right and saw the real Kuroko had vanished from his previous spot, and the door to the main office was closed tight. His mate was nowhere to be found. 

There were still two of the staff in the room, but Kagami trusted Kuroko’s ability to sneak past them without notice. They already did their best to distract four of them — this was all they could manage, for now. Then they had to buy as much time for Kuroko, as possible. They needed to keep up the attention of all four of the nurses, until Kuroko obtained what they came there for.

Then Kagami remembered Akashi, for some reasons.

“ … I’m sorry. I don’t mean to seem bold and aggressive. However, I need to make you realise, exactly how I feel for you.” He recited the redhead’s lines from the top of his head, trying to remember what else Akashi said that would swoon any woman he spoke to. That guy was incredibly smooth. “I think … you’re very lovely, ma’am. I can’t seem to tear my eyes off of you, from the moment you walked out that door.”

He paused, for a more dramatic effect. The nurse was practically melting under Kagami’s intense gaze. 

“Please, tell me. Are my feelings … undue?”

He didn’t know whether Kise’s words were right or not, but Kagami appealed to the older like honey for bees. 

The nurse was reduced into a mess of incoherent babbles, her face was awfully red — meanwhile all Kagami felt was that he might have seduced someone Alex’s age. God, that was just too many different shades of _wrong_. He seriously hoped Kuroko could find those keys soon, because now Kagami needed to maintain the distraction a little while longer. He resisted the urge to shudder involuntarily. 

The other nurses squealed and gossiped among themselves, talking about how jealous they were. And Kise, in the other hand, had whistled to Kagami for a seduction well done. Kagami wasn’t happy about it, now he had a woman around twice his age clinging to him and asking for his numbers. Kagami had to continue the act, ushering the nurse to the nearby seat to resume their ‘chat’. Kise was still distracting the other three.

Kagami channeled Akashi again and attempted to be as natural as possible — he pretended he was talking to Kuroko, that made it much easier for him to act as if he had fallen in love at the first sight with the nurse and maintain the cover.

Minutes ticked by, and it was already 11:53 P.M., Kagami was beginning to worry. Kuroko was taking too long. Just as he was wondering, a bundle of soft blue hair went past his vision in a blur, Kagami turned his head and noticed Kuroko was out, standing at the other side of the corridor, a bunch of keys dangling in his hand. Kagami perked up and grinned. He’d done it! Kuroko got the key! Now Kagami could be relieved of the pain from the company of a smitten nurse.

“Um, I’m sorry, Ms. Nanahara, I have to go now. It’s late, my mom’s gonna wonder where I’m at. I’m worried she’s gonna freak out if she realises I’m not there when she wakes up.” He’d tried to excuse himself. The older nurse inexplicably pouted.

“Aww, Taiga-kun, you’re such a sweetheart! You care so much about your mother! Alright, I won’t stop you, if you promise you’d visit me again tomorrow? I’ll leave my schedule open for you.” She smiled seductively, running a hand up Kagami’s thigh towards his crotch. _Shit_. Kagami grabbed her hand and put it back to her own lap.

“Ms. Nanahara, I don’t want to — to rush things. Please understand, we should take this slow.” He attempted to reason, wanting so much to just _leave_ the scene right there and then. She was pretty persistent and clingy once seduced — but it looked like she was touched by his lie; hook, line and sinker.

“Oh my god, you’re so sweet! Where have you been all my life, Taiga-kun? Come here, I’ll give you this instead, instead.” Before he knew it, the nurse had pulled him down by the collar and kissed Kagami on his lips.

Kagami’s blood froze and body went rigid, too horrified and shocked to react immediately.

She withdrew after a few seconds, smiling mischievously and pushing up the rim of her glasses. “Call me later, alright? I still have some works to do, so I can’t stay long. Such a shame.” She gushed, winking.

The nurse bounced towards the nurse station and waved at him, which Kagami mechanically returned, mind still blank. Kise returned to his side after the nurse went into the room, having left the other three. Loud squeals could be heard from the direction of the main office. Kagami suddenly felt depressed.

“You did a good job, Kagamicchi.” The blonde consoled him and patted his shoulder, shaking his head. “You were pretty awesome there! Shame Kurokocchi saw it — it’s not like it’s your fault, but uh. You might be in trouble, dude.” He gave Kagami a pitying, sympathetic look.

Shit, he totally forgot!

“… where’s Kuroko?” He said, whipping around and tossing his head about to look for his mate, slightly panicked. The spot where Kuroko was standing on was empty now, replaced by the hollow, empty darkness.

“Yeah, that … is why I told you, you’re in trouble.” Kise grimaced. “Kurokocchi kind of stormed off after that chick kissed you — by the way, you might wanna wipe off that lipstick before you get back. It’s just gonna make things worse.”

Kagami instantly wiped his lips with the back of his hand, staring at the rouge stain over his skin.

“Fuck.” 

There was no way he was getting that _reward_ , now.

—

Kise and Kagami returned to the room, it was already 12:15 P.M., by then.

The room was quiet, Furihata had most likely fallen asleep, Kasamatsu was also sleeping on the chair by the bed, the upper of his body laid flush against the side of the bed. Murasakibara woke up when they entered the room, quietly, he had been sleeping on a chair, his head poked out from the freakishly long folded arms over the dining table. Kagami looked around for Kuroko, while Kise approached Kasamatsu, finding a rather large bulk on the guest bed, stray silvery blue strands of hair peeking out from under the blanket.

Kagami sighed, at least Kuroko was in the room.

At the other side of the room, Kise was moving Kasamatsu the older boy into his arms, to carry him. “Senpai, if you sleep here, you’ll get cold. Let’s go back to our room?” Kagami heard him whisper. Kasamatsu grunted in his sleep as the blonde cradled him, shifting him into a more comfortable position, the older boy’s head pressed against Kise’s shoulder.

Kise smiled and walked towards the entrance, whispering to Kagami as they passed by each other. “Kagamicchi, we’re going now. Make sure to make up with Kurokocchi! Good luck.” The blonde told him. Murasakabara rose from his seat and yawned, about to follow Kise. Kagami’s lips twitched, then he nodded, silently staring at the bundle on the guest bed. 

Kise grinned encouragingly, then sauntered out of the room, the purple-haired titan tailed him, he ducked his head as he passed the door.

Uncomfortable silence quickly filled the empty space, as soon as the rest of them left, only the steady breaths of the sleeping Furihata were audible in the room. Kuroko was trying to hide away his presence, lacking of his usual friendly, inviting scent, as if he wanted Kagami to leave him alone. Like hell he’d let it go like that! Kagami hated it when Kuroko was withdrawn, he wanted his mate to feel happy and safe, especially in a situation like this. It was too easy for things to get worse for Kuroko.

Kagami approached the bed and sat on the empty spot at the edge, leaning down and bending his upper body. Both of his hands were placed at the either side of the bundle that was Kuroko’s covered form. He stared at the messy strands of hair laide on the sheet of the pillow, he bit his bottom lip and pondered how to start.

“Kuroko.” He called out, gently and carefully. “Are you upset with me? You have the right to get mad, but I swear I didn’t mean to do that — it wasn’t on purpose. I never wanted her to — to do that with her. Kuroko, believe me.” He stated, firmly. He was anxious to hear a respond from his mate, who remained eerily silent. He waited. Seconds ticked by and still no response.

Wait, could it be that Kuroko was sleeping? Kagami was unsure.

“Kuroko? Are you sleeping?” Kagami asked, hesitantly brought a hand to the hem of the blanket that covered Kuroko’s head, slowly peeling it off.

Kuroko’s eyes were hidden beneath the long fringe. Kagami brushed the strands away with his fingers, finding both of sea blue eyes were opened, looking absently into the space. The sapphire gems moved, but refused to meet Kagami’s eyes. Kagami tightened his jaw, feeling Kuroko had withdrawn from him even further, despite having seen more of him. He didn’t like that. He wanted those eyes to gaze at him, with love and warmth written on them. He wanted it, so badly.

The silent stretched on, a little too long for comfort.

“ … I’m not sleeping.” He heard Kuroko quietly said. Kagami sighed in relief, at least Kuroko was talking to him.

“Are you… mad at me?” Kagami tentatively asked.

Kuroko clamped his mouth shut. Pupils as vivid as the sunny sky moved to meet his, finally, they reflected Kagami’s own face, lit by the dim lamp at a corner of the room. His lips parted, moved, but soundless, then Kuroko averted his gaze as if he didn’t know what to say. Kagami wondered why.

Kagami then felt a hand push his shoulder, it was Kuroko’s, he was rising from the bed and had pushed Kagami to give him some space. The latter understood and did as suggested, giving Kuroko a chance to rise and sit on the bed. The blanket rolled down to his lap as he settled himself on the bed, hands clutching the sheets and making ripples over the white fabric. Kuroko was quiet again, staring at his own hands. 

Kagami’s heart was pounding.

“I … understand that you had no choice but to do what you did — I am aware of the risks and the time constraint. I was the one who asked you and Kise-kun to provide the distraction. I had agreed to the methods Kise-kun suggested, as well. I know. This is irrational of me.” Kuroko said, voice soft. A shadow was cast upon his visage, making it hard for Kagami to read his expression.

“However, I,” His mate paused, lifting his gaze to look at Kagami in the eyes. The minuscule sky quivered, glazed wet and shaken — a shadow overcame the surface, like the dark clouds that blanketed the bright blue sky. “When I … when I saw … that Kagami-kun was kissing another person, I — I felt as if my heart was breaking within my chest. I was shocked. It is a very — ” 

He paused, inhaled deeply, gaze lowering and form shrinking.

“ — very painful sensation. I did not expect for it to hurt so much. I had to … I had to leave. Because, I could not stand it. I’m sorry, this is very illogical. I know Kagami-kun was just acting, to provide the time for me to find the keys. And yet still, I, I could not help what I felt.” Kuroko’s voice broke at the end of the sentence, he paused again as if to gather his wits. 

Meanwhile, Kagami was taken aback — he’d expected Kuroko to be angry, but not like this — not the sorrow he was displaying right now, as if Kuroko didn’t have the right to get angry with Kagami, resigned and insecure.

The clutch on the sheets tightened. 

“ … this is silly. Kagami-kun, I know. I know that because I am of a lower Seed level, I cannot ask you to stay faithful only to me. I know that I may have to endure it, should you wish to be with other people. But … but it is … painful for me, after all. I can barely stand it.” Kuroko uttered, his voice grew softer and faint. “But still, I want to be with Kagami-kun. I — I want to be with you, so much. I do not know what to do.”

 _…_ what?

“Wait, what the hell are you talking about? How does this become _that_?” Kagami interrupted, grabbing Kuroko by the shoulders and forcing Kuroko to look at him. He could see minuscule drops of tears clung to his eyelashes. Kagami was getting irritated, there.

“When did I ever tell you that I want to be with other people? I never said that. Don’t just assume I’m gonna cheat on you, Kuroko, because I’m sure as hell I’ve _never_ cheated on anyone in all my life — and what the hell is with this business about me wanting to hurt you _on purpose_ and you _enduring_ it? I don’t ever want that shit for you. You should know that already!” Kagami tried to say it as gently and carefully as possible — somewhat difficult, because he was genuinely pissed that Kuroko would think about him like that. 

This was ridiculous. Where the hell did Kuroko get these ideas from?

Kuroko blinked, confused. “But I — because Kagami-kun is a Heavy Seed, I thought — ”

Geezus, so that was the cause of _this_.

“Just because I’m a Heavy Seed, that means I’d want a harem? That I’d want to stick to that promiscuous expectation and have multiple partners? I have my free will, Kuroko, I can make my own _goddamn_ choices. I don’t have to follow the society’s _stupid_ rules to live _my_ life. My parents never forced me to do otherwise, and they’ve been exclusive themselves since god knows when — and that’s cool to me. I mean, I’m never the kind of guy who’s comfortable with that kind of stuff, anyway. I don’t wanna be one of those pompous jerks who’d get laid just because I _can_ , and disregard your feelings.” 

Kagami sighed exasperatedly, scratching his head. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Kuroko, deeply, into the eyes he loved so much, his grip on Kuroko’s shoulders tightened slightly.

“Kuroko. I told you, I want you. _Only you_. Is that clear enough? I don’t plan to have other people now, and not in the future. You don’t have to worry about me mingling with others — because that’s not gonna happen. I mean, unless you want to break up with me, if you don’t feel the same way. I’ll be _broken up_ , of course. But I want to make sure that you want this, as much as I do. I want us to be exclusive. I can’t stand the thought of you with other people, too.” 

He told him, firmly and slowly emphasising each word so he wouldn’t get misunderstood again. Kagami knew that maybe he should have clarified his intentions much sooner, but it was better late than never. Thankfully, it wasn’t too late, because it looked like Kagami’s words were starting to sink into that thick, dense head of his. Kuroko could be so slow sometimes, even though he was supposedly smarter than Kagami. 

“Kuroko, believe in me. I want only you — I don’t want other people. Only you, _alone_ , Kuroko. I won’t leave you and I don’t want you to leave me either, hopefully for as long as possible — always. I want us to always be together.” Kagami solemnly said. 

He detached his hands from Kuroko’s shoulders to move up, cupping Kuroko’s face and leaning down to kiss him, gently, just feeling his warm lips against his own. He withdrew, pressing his forehead against Kuroko’s and fingers delicately stroking his beloved’s cheeks. He stared into Kuroko’s eyes, unblinking and unfaltering. He wanted Kuroko to understand this.

“I … I believe in you.” Kuroko uttered, softly, eyes widened. The pupils wavered in a fraction of a second and the gorgeous blue shone brighter, as if lit up by a light that came from within the depths of those pools. Slim, pale hands reached Kagami’s jaw, framing his head and fingering his hair, their foreheads pressing against one another. 

“Yes, Kagami-kun. The answer is _yes_. I’d love that. I want to be exclusive with you, too. I want to always be with you!”

Kuroko wrapped his arms around Kagami’s neck and kissed him passionately, Kagami reacted by embracing his waist, pulling Kuroko close to him and kissing back with just as much ardour. “Kagami-kun, I’m so happy. Thank you.” Kuroko whispered sweetly to him, before their lips locked again, until they were breathless. Both threw themselves deeper into passion, their feelings had finally, truly become one, mutual. The misunderstandings were cleared out. Seriously, Kuroko had no need for such insecurities.

Kagami sighed into the kiss, their lips parted and he grinned, wiping off the saliva from Kuroko’s chin with a thumb. He patted the slight bed hair at the top of Kuroko’s head and flattened it. “Feeling better, now?”

Kuroko blushed. 

“Yes. I feel better now.” He shyly nodded.

“Great. Now, you should go to sleep. We’ve been out all day. I don’t want you to tire yourself.” Kagami said, untangling himself and pushing Kuroko gently, until his mate slowly fell on to the mattress, an arm looped around Kuroko’s waist to support the fall. Kuroko blinked, as Kagami detached himself and pulled the blanket to his neck. 

“Kagami-kun…? About the shower…” Kuroko attempted to say, only for Kagami’s hand to shush him.

“Better not. I’m not sure if I can hold back, anyway. Plus, you’re tired. We shouldn’t push it. I’m still gonna have to shower ‘cos my hair’s all greasy though.” He scratched his head, feeling the artificial hardness in his hair. If he slept like that, there would be consequences. Like Kuroko’s epic bed hair in the morning; cute, but not gonna work on _him_. 

Kagami leaned down to kiss the top of Kuroko’s head, smiling to him. “Kuroko, get some rest. I’m happier if you’re getting better. We can wait.”

His mate flushed, he shrunk into the duvet until half of his face was hidden under it, nodding quietly. “Okay. I’ll wait until you’re finished.”

He grinned. 

“We’ll go to bed together. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Kagami spent around fifteen minutes in the showers rinsing off the grease on his hair, the hairstyle Kise gave him flattened in seconds after being showered by the hot water. He idly inspected the bathroom, finding the narrow space to be just barely able to fit two people in. With his height and body size, Kagami thought maybe it was a good thing they didn’t go through with showering together, slippery and cramped didn’t make a fun place to enjoy the company of each other. The bathroom in his own flat was much preferable.

He towelled off the excess water off of his body, put on the track pants and pulled the shirt he borrowed from Kuroko, down his neck. It was still a bit tight on him, the hem of the sleeve strained against in biceps, but he couldn’t be too picky — he let the towel hang over his head and walked out of the bathroom, drops of water still dripping down the wet red strands.

Kuroko was reading a book on the bed, the lamp on the bedside table next to the guest bed provided enough light for him to do so. Furihata was still sleeping soundly, the curtains closed around his bed and the lights on his side of the room were shut off. When Kagami approached the bed, Kuroko closed the book and scooted over for him, placing the book on the bedside table. The former peeled the duvet aside to slide into the bed with his mate, the cramped space forced them to stick closely to each other again. Not that he minded.

He settled himself on the bed and turned sideways to face Kuroko, the latter stared at him and brought a hand to brush his still damp hair, fingering the fibres with great interest.

“I have thought that hairstyle look good on you, Kagami-kun. You looked so mature, I was surprised.” He breathed, voice quiet and slow. A blush scattered on his cheeks, ever so lightly, the gentle light from the lamp danced over his features. “You were so handsome, that you took my breath away.”

Kagami felt his cheeks grow heated by such a sudden compliment. Embarrassed, he leaned close and kissed Kuroko’s temples, whispering to his ear. “ … I’m glad you liked it.” He paused. “You know, if I didn’t imagine it was you whom I had to seduce, I wouldn’t be able to do it, Kuroko. In my head I saw you, not someone else. That’s the truth.”

He withdrew to find blue eyes had grown wide, sparkling like gems. “Really? That’s … surprising.”

“Yeah, duh. Who else was I gonna imagine to get through the damn mission?” Kagami laughed, ruffling Kuroko’s hair with one hand. “I mean, you got nothing to worry about Kuroko. I’m pretty sure I won’t be changing my mind any time soon, if ever. For me, there’s only you.”

Kuroko stared at him, lips forming a smile, blossoming like the bud of a cherry blossom in spring, opening up into a full bloom. Kagami was taken aback, charmed — his heart thumped loudly in his chest — his breath stolen like the day he saw Kuroko’s misdirection for the first time. No, that wasn’t right, it was a crush back then, now it was love. A full-fledged love that was requited, finally — now he was sure that Kuroko felt the same way that Kagami did for him. They were both in love with each other — and Kagami couldn’t be happier.

He embraced Kuroko closely to himself, breathing in his hair. How he loved the way their scents mingled together, the way Kuroko fitted in his arms and the way Kuroko responded by wrapping his arms around his back, returning every bit of Kagami’s affection with the same amount of fervour. This was _perfection_. As if the missing pieces of himself had returned to him, creating a perfect, completed picture within. Kuroko made him _whole_.

Nothing could ruin this very moment, not even the situation they were in — because Kagami would crush anyone who’d stand in their way, and because he’d do anything to make sure _nothing_ would ruin their peace.

“Kuroko, thank you,” _for accepting me._ Kagami whispered, a thumb brushed over Kuroko’s cheek. 

He was drunk in the happiness, his chest was throbbing with a sense of great joy he’d never thought was possible. The warmth they shared merely amplified the sensations — it was _insane_ , to feel so happy, despite everything going on around them. “Let’s go to sleep, we’ll have a long day tomorrow. I want you to be well-rested when you wake up in the morning.”

Kuroko stared up at him and snuggled closer against Kagami’s chest, then lowered his gaze. 

“Alright.” He whispered softly. “Good night … Taiga-kun.”

Kagami blinked.

He’d thought he’d heard wrong, when he looked down at Kuroko, and saw the tips of his ears had grown deeply red, hands clutching Kagami’s back tightly. Kuroko was embarrassed, and it was so adorable Kagami could do nothing but stare with a flushed face. He was sure Kuroko could hear his loudly beating heart, being so close to Kagami’s chest. Speechless, Kagami brought a hand to stroke Kuroko’s hair, attempting to calm down and hold back on the desire to confirm their feelings right there and then, physically.

He breathed in and out, deeply, before he replied back. “ … good night, Tetsuya.”

Kuroko stirred in his arms and held onto him even tighter. Kagami had never felt more content and silly — as if the world was created only for the two of them, at that moment. He closed his eyes with Kuroko in his arms, so close to him, and fell into a slumber deeper than any he have ever had before, a sweet, dreamless sleep.

—

The next morning, at around 7 A.M., they had another briefing about the locations of the bombs installation, after breakfast.

While Kise, Kuroko and Kagami were all gathered at the dining table, Kasamatsu took care of Furihata’s breakfast and other things. Murasakibara was asked to tag along, just in case something happened while they were gone on a mission, so he’d know where they were or what they were doing. They needed to get over everything, before they set off. Kuroko had spread sheets of maps for the hospital that were more detailed than the flimsy pamphlet, and a bunch of post-it notes and a pen that he’d snatched from the main office just the night before.

“I’ve found these maps on one of the tables in the office — I think they belonged to some of the new staff, to learn of the environment.” Kuroko told them. “However I could only get the ones for the East Wing, I’m not sure if we can get more of these, for the Centre and West Wings. But I digress, let us focus on the East Wing first.” 

“Yesterday, Kagami-kun and I agreed that it might be better to target rooms that are usually locked or but used on regular intervals, such as the supply storages and empty patient rooms — I’ve also thought about places like the staff’s and orphan’s dormitories, it has risks of being found out — but it may be worthwhile. We also need rooms with proper ventilations, for the smoke to be able to come out, and create a deception of fire. To prevent them from finding out the deception, I believe we must possess the keys for these locked rooms, so they may panic that they could not enter and put out the ‘fire’.” He explained. 

“Currently, we have the important keys for the East Wing, but there may be duplicates in the security post near the entrance gates, as Aomine told us. I have asked him about the places to avoid — thankfully, there are no current patients with terminal diseases. Most of them are expecting mothers, elders and children. Still, there are risks of asphyxiation from the smoke. We must be mindful of this and keep a sufficient distance in between the installations, avoid closed up spaces where there are patients within the room, especially if they are children.”

Kagami let the explanation digested into his mind.

“Kuroko. I know you want to be thorough, but honestly we don’t have much time. We should decide where to go first in the East Building, then cover the ones in the Centre and West Wings, ASAP. Put it under a few hours at a time or something.” Kagami interrupted, reminding of the time constraint they have. They seriously have a tight schedule here. There was no room for error, yet there wasn’t room for more preparation either. 

He added. “I can pose as a bodyguard and sneak into the dorms if I have to. But you and Kise, they know you by face. You can’t go where there are security around.” 

Kuroko nodded. “You’re right Kagami-kun, we do not have time to be too picky, however I’d like to be as careful as possible. We can’t involve innocent people into the conflict. I can use my misdirection to sneak by, Kise-kun should be able to do it as well to some degree, or provide a distraction for me in the mean time.”

The blonde grinned. “Got it, I can do that! Plus, I did what you tell me to, Kurokocchi, I don’t use any product today — not even my moisturiser, now my skin’s all dry — ”

“Anyway, Murasakibara-kun, please contact us should anything happen during our absence. You can use Furihata-kun’s phone or Kasamatsu-san’s.” Kuroko briefly ignored the blonde and turned to the giant, who was picking his ear with a pinky finger.

“Okay, Kuro-chin.” Murasakibara nodded once.

Kise suddenly jumped from his seat. “By the way, Murasakibaracchi! Don’t forget to guard Senpai _extra tight_ , okay? If he wants to vomit again, be sure to pat his back gently, like this.” He brought a hand and pat the titan’s shoulder, ever so lightly. “See? Not so hard! _Be gentle!_ I know you’re not good at handling _short_ , _delicate_ people and all, but you must _absolutely_ be _gentle_ towards Senpai. Got it, Murasakibaracchi?”

The purple-haired giant scratched his head. “Okay, I guess. Se-chin is so strict.”

Meanwhile, Kasamatsu threw a dirty glare at the blonde, and shouted from across the room. “I’m not freakin’ _short_ , you _asshole_! I can go the bathroom by myself, I’m not a child!”

Kise shot him a genuinely shocked, horrified look. “But Senpai! You’ve been vomiting your food, I’m worried! You haven’t been eating much, either! What if you faint in the bathroom, or, _or_ worse, _slip_ _and_ _fall down_??”

Kasamatsu flushed. “Kise, for god’s sake, _concentrate_ on the meeting! Don’t worry about me, I can survive _this small thing_. You have more important tasks to do! Sit down and stop talking to me. Focus, Kise. Don’t be a bother to them.” Kasamatsu told him off, he turned to Furihata and sighed. The brunette gave the older boy a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

The blonde did as told, sitting down and mumbling grumpily. “… but you’re more important to me … ”

“Um, moving on.” Kuroko uttered, exchanging awkward looks with Kagami. He bent down to pick up a medium-sized package box and settled it on his lap. 

“As Akashi-kun has said, he has provided us with 40 custom made smoke bombs. It appears that each of them is be able to produce a vast amount of smoke, so we may use it sparsely, across the hospital. Be sure to look around the rooms to check for the locations of the fire alarms and place the items nearby, so when they are ignited, the alarms would be set off at once.” He tore the seal of the box and peeled off the tape, opening the lid of the box.

He fished out one of them and showed it to the group; a grey metallic tube with the length of a chapstick, but thicker in diameter. “I will give around ten of them for each of us. They are quite small, as you can see, so you may put them into your pockets. But please be careful not to lose any of them, we have limited supply and there are many rooms in this hospital to cover. I trust your judgement of the places to install them strategically, please make it inconspicuous and hidden from plain sight.” 

Kuroko paused, seemingly thinking for a moment. “To save time, we may have to divide the tasks by the buildings. However, since we only have one access card, so we’ll go by two to one, is that alright?” 

“Sure. That sounds like a plan.” Kagami said, crossing his arms over his chest. Kise nodded along with him.

Kuroko stared at him, blue eyes flickered in uncertainty for a short moment, before they grew firm, ensured. “Then, Kagami-kun, I’d like you to infiltrate the dormitories for this task in the Centre and West Wings. Meanwhile, I will go with Kise, to venture the storages and the East Wing’s patient rooms.”

It took a moment for Kagami to digest what Kuroko had said.

“ _What?_ ” 

He blurted out in shock, arms unfolded and body jerked forward. “What do you mean? I’m going with you, aren’t I!? I told you I’m not leaving you alone! I’m not agreeing to this!”

Kuroko shook his head and gazed at him, firmly. “Please understand and be reasonable, Kagami-kun. We’ve hardly the time to argue — and as you’ve said, you’re the only one who can penetrate the dormitories and places with the bodyguards around, Kise-kun and I cannot do that. We can save time with this arrangement. Please, do this for me. We cannot afford to waste time — besides, I’ll have Kise-kun with me.”

“But —But you — ” Kagami tried to say, stammering to find the right words.

“Please, Kagami-kun. We only have one whole day to do this. We may not be able to make it tomorrow, there are too many at stakes — we’ve risked exposure several times, already. We must do this swiftly, before anyone realises anything.” Kuroko firmly told him.

Kagami clamped his mouth shut, he couldn’t say anything — couldn’t find the right reasons to argue back, because what Kuroko said made perfect sense to him. They couldn’t afford to be too fussy about _how_ to do the mission. They were short of time _and_ the manpower. Kagami clenched his jaw. The thought of letting Kuroko go somewhere he couldn’t supervise made him feel anxious. What if something happened again, when he wasn’t there? 

Would all those unfortunate events repeat itself, when someone else would get badly hurt like Furihata, and for Kuroko to be broken in grief, once again? He couldn’t stand the thought — he couldn’t. It was too much. But that was a weakness he couldn’t show to his mate — Kagami had to swallow his anxiety and worries, and remained strong. This was for the team. This was for Kuroko and Furihata, as well as for everyone else, ultimately. He couldn’t be selfish.

“Kagami-kun? What would you say?” Kuroko asked, careful. He looked worried. Kagami felt like such a douchebag, to have made Kuroko worry like this. Didn’t he promise that he’d make Kuroko feel safe?

“… yeah, got it. I’ll do it. For you, for everyone.” He finally said, resigned. There were so many things in this plan that he hated, but he had to compromise. He knew that. Kagami could do nothing but accept and grit his teeth. 

He felt a pat on his shoulder and turned to see Kise had placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling encouragingly to him. 

“Don’t worry Kagamicchi, I’ll make sure Kurokocchi’s safe. I swear this to you, as a man.” He assured. 

“Thanks, Kise.” Kagami tried to smile back, but knew it was a shaky one. He couldn’t brush off the thoughts of Kuroko’s sorrowful voice on the phone, or Furihata’s bruised face, or Kise’s fears and Kasamatsu’s odd calmness. So many people were involved in this, so many were at stakes. They couldn’t fail — they just _could not_. The invisible pressure was slowly crushing him under its heels, merciless. He swallowed the lump that gathered at the back of his throat.

No. He must be strong. Kagami couldn’t be weak now. He had to focus.

“Kagami-kun, please trust me. I will be fine.” Kuroko uttered, his gaze moved and settled towards the direction of Furihata and Kasamatsu, who were chatting at the other side of the room. “I know it is very difficult — things happened so fast that I cannot help but to worry that everything may fall apart in the end, but, we can only do the best we could presently. We _cannot_ give up, for Furihata-kun and Kasamatsu-san as well.”

Kagami inhaled. 

“I know, Kuroko. You’re right. This is pretty damn scary to me, I’ll admit that. I don’t want you — or anyone here, to get hurt anymore. It scared me. It scared _the shit out of me_ , but that’s why I’ll fight for it, because it’s a damn worthy goal to achieve; your freedom. I won’t give up, for that reason alone.” Kagami looked at them, deep in the eyes. 

Both Kise and Kuroko fell quiet.

“Therefore, we must do our best. Whether it would succeed or not, it does not matter right now. We will take the risks, for our freedom.” Kuroko declared, boldly.

“Yeah. Of course we’re gonna do that. We’ll do whatever we can.” Kagami agreed.

Kise grinned widely. “My sentiments exactly, Kurokocchi, Kagamicchi! I’ll do my best, too!”

Murasakibara quietly smiled, unbeknownst to them.

All of them reached a mutual agreement. Kuroko gave them their share of the smoke bombs, Kagami got 13 of them, which fitted into his trousers’ pockets although they bulged out. He relocated  some of them and his phone into the inner pockets of his suit, he could feel it bumped against his breast, safely tucked away. The rest of them were shared between Kuroko and Kise. They would need to head out and do the job as soon as possible, Kagami reminded himself of the ways to go to the Centre and West Wings. There were directional maps at the elevator area should he get lost.

When Kuroko was handing him the master key card, Kagami had held his hand, leaned down to embrace his mate and kissed him. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, Kuroko grew stiff at first but quickly relaxed, Kagami felt a hand reaching his waist and another at the back of his head. This was nice. It calmed his nerves faster than anticipated. Kagami withdrew after a while, looking at Kuroko, apologetically.

“… sorry, I needed that. I know you don’t like it when I do it in front of other people.” He admitted, stroking Kuroko’s face gently. Somehow, he understood why Kise had done it the other day. Kissing Kuroko, it was as if his frayed nerves became whole again — the knots in his head untangled, undisturbed. 

“I… understand.” Kuroko said, looking up at him. His blue eyes sparked like two precious gems shone in light, so beautiful, Kagami could just gaze at them for hours. “Under this circumstance, I allow it, Kagami-kun.”

Kagami clenched his jaw. “Kuroko, be safe. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I will do my best to remain unharmed.” Kuroko uttered, leaning to his touch. “Kagami-kun, please be safe too. I may not show it, but, I am very worried. For you, for everyone.”

“ … I know. I will.” 

Such dark, horrible things — these anxiety, and fear. It ate him up. To have his beloved, and their friends, under the mercy of strangers, in which Kagami could do little about. It was frustrating. Infuriating. He felt helpless, weak. Kagami wished, from the bottom of his heart, that he could be stronger.

They held gazes and hands for as long as they could, before they had to part ways. Kagami noticed later on, that Kise had gotten one of his ‘good luck kisses’ from a reluctant Kasamatsu, seemingly slightly more open to the idea after Kuroko and Kagami’s bold display. It wasn’t exactly his intention, but the blonde sure looked happier and much more motivated after that. Well, good for him, Kagami supposed.

They had agreed they would come back to the room in a few hours, to regroup and inform each other of their progress.

Once they were outside the room, Kise squeezed his shoulder once more as a subtle reassurance before they set out, walking off into different direction; Kise with Kuroko, and Kagami, alone.

He remembered the way to the Centre and West Wings, wondering which he should go to first, on his way there. He remembered the West Wing’s staff’s dormitory, or more specifically, the bodyguard’s dormitory. It was the farthest from where he was; maybe he could start from there and work all the way back towards the Centre Wing, then he could go back to the room for the meeting, on time. Quietly deciding upon his choices, Kagami strode along the corridors.

He walked down identical corridors and halls, rode the elevators and passed by the hospital’s staff, meanwhile keeping up the appearances and the act of a bodyguard. There really weren’t a lot of people around — not the patients, nor the staff. Were they really that understaffed? Or was it because it was still early in the morning? Could be. Kagami vaguely wondered whether the orphans who stayed there were at school right now, or maybe they were homeschooled? If it was the former, then their dormitory must be empty. He could take advantage of that.

As for the bodyguard’s dorms, Aomine did tell them that the night shift ended at 6 P.M., the morning shift started after that. It was almost 8 P.M., currently. Most of the bodyguards who were on night duty must be sleeping right now, the ones awake must be already in their respective posts. Kagami could sneak in there. He had to be extra careful though — there may still be some of them awake and aware, lingered around, could possibly find him out while he was planting those bombs in.

Next, how many bombs should he use for the dorms? He only possessed so many, he needed to spare a thought to it. He couldn’t use too few nor too many. What a conflict.

He was already reaching the Centre Wing - West Wing skywalk by then, still pondering about it. 

The dormitory was on the second and third floor, he didn’t know much about it since he and Kuroko could only go so far without a card — and couldn’t inspect much due to the risk of being found out by the staff, so Kagami didn’t know which one was the hospital staff’s dorm and which was the bodyguard’s. He could make a guess. Kagami decided to try the one on the second floor, quickly riding an elevator on his way down, from the third floor.

As soon as the elevator’s door opened up, he knew he had to turn left, from the overhead directional board that hung on the wall.

He walked until he reached a glass door at a corner of the other side of the hall, seemingly ordinary, with a white placket attached to the surface that said, “Staff Dormitory, Do Not Enter”. There was an identification machine for scanning the id cards, rows of buttons Kagami assumed as bell beepers, there was also a receiver and a small screen under it, installed on the wall to his right. 

Tentatively, Kagami reached for his pocket for the card, and swiped it over the flat platform of the identification machine. The tiny light on the right corner flickered red several times — it made him more nervous than necessary — before it turned green, then machinery noises and faint clicks could be heard from under the door’s handle, unlocking itself. Kagami sighed in relief. He grabbed the handle and swung it inwards, stepping into a long, narrow corridor.

He was walking down the corridor, and he stiffened when a bodyguard came out of an elevator at the back, going towards him. Kagami tried to act natural, just walking into the dorm and yawning — more due to nervousness than anything else. The bodyguard noticed him and looked up — damn his tall and huge body, Kagami could never pull off a stealth stunt like Kuroko. To his surprise, the bodyguard smiled to him. It was a friendly one.

“Hey, long night at the shift? New guy, right? Must be tough at first.” The guy greeted, patting his shoulder for a job well done — Kagami presumed.

“Y- yeah. It’s pretty tough.” Kagami said, attempting to sound normal — or groggy — whichever worked.

“You’ll get used to it, eventually.” The older man offered kindly. “Get some rest, things are gonna get hectic around here.”

Kagami paused.

“What do you mean, by hectic?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh, don’t mind it. We, bodyguards on day duty, are going to have to gather up to greet the Director, later around noon. You know, the new one? He’s visiting today. There’s going to be a huge event in the coming days that needs a lot of preparations. The Director is personally supervising, it’s a pretty big deal.” He told him, easily. “He’s bringing temps for the security too, I heard. It’s going to make things easier for us, isn’t it great?”

Kagami froze.

Oh fuck. Oh Shit. Shit shit _shit shit_!! This wasn’t _supposed_ to happen! 

They didn’t need anymore pressure than this! Kagami cursed violently in his mind, but remained fairly calm as the other bodyguard bade him goodbye, going off for his post. After the entrance door swung close, Kagami could feel panic rising from the depths of his belly. He couldn’t think of nothing but Kuroko, and then Akashi, then the plans. This could possibly _screw up_ everything.

Kagami quickly strode out of the corridor, he left to search for a more private, secluded spot he knew nobody could see nor hear him. He needed to make calls. He needed to warn Kuroko and Kise, especially. He needed to call Akashi and Aomine, immediately, of what he’d heard. Nobody warned them about this, this was completely unexpected.

 _Fuck_. They needed to regroup. _Now_.

—

TBC.

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’mma stop here cos it’s getting too long (20K for this chapter!), since I don’t want to rush the pacing, there may be a need for an extra chapter before Epilogue. We’ll see what’s coming.


	13. The Last Straw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: From this chapter onwards, both Kagami & Kuroko's PoVs will take turns at some points from this chapter onwards. Just to warn ya. Also, speeding and yet not quite speeding into the climax. We're almost there, guys! :O

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 13: The Last Straw

—

"This is the last one for the storages." Kuroko confirmed, he stepped outside of the room, wary. Kise was standing by the door for the lookout. They'd managed to finish the first task rather swiftly, Kuroko was allowed one sigh of relief, his hand went down into his pockets, mentally counting the remaining items; 10 out of 14 left. 4 items for 3 storages.

"There are still other places to check out. Let's lock the door and move on to the next floor." The blonde nodded, Kuroko proceeded to turn the key and locked it twice before he withdrew it, they jingled in his hold as he pocketed them.

Kuroko looked into the empty corridor, listening in to the noises. He was a little better with the ears transformation now, more controlled with the volume of the noises, although he still couldn't listen in too far or the noises would blare into his ear drums again. For now, the surroundings seemed quiet, noises of people sounded distant, the footsteps were faint. Before he could retreat his senses back, his ear caught the buzz of vibration.

The cellphone. Kuroko realised.

He looked at Kise, who glanced at him back with an eyebrow raised. Curious, Kuroko's hand went into his pocket and fished out the black sack he'd carried his phone and smoke bombs in, untying the knot. He fished out the vibrating phone out of the hollow of the opening, a name was displayed on the screen as 'Cell 3', not Akashi nor Aomine's. It must be Kagami.

Kuroko made sure to move into a more secluded area — Kise followed him on the lookout — before he pressed the phone against his ear and pressed the button. "… hello?" He said into the phone, a little wary.

" _Kuroko!? Are you alright!?_ " Kagami's familiar voice reached him. Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows slightly, why had Kagami sounded worried? It had seemed more than usual.

"I'm alright, Kagami-kun. Is there something wrong?" He asked, keeping his voice low and covering the receiver with a hand.

" _Kuroko, listen — I just heard something important from a bodyguard when I was going into the staff's dorm. Aomine's uncle — he's coming today, this noon!_ " Kagami whispered harshly across the line, sounding hurried and frazzled. He spoke too fast, Kuroko had to pause to recall what he said.

" — Director Daichi is coming today? At noon?" He repeated, slowly, gradually realising the gravity of what Kagami just told him. "Kagami-kun, are you sure?"

The redhead just said he heard that bit of info from the hospital's bodyguard, someone from the inside of the institution, it was possible that he'd thought Kagami was one of them. Kuroko clenched his jaw. The information had small chance to be an error, he realised.

Kise looked at Kuroko, one golden eyebrow raised. He was standing a little far from him, looking out for anybody around. It looked like he couldn't hear the conversation. Kuroko glanced at the blonde once, shaking his head.

" _Yeah, I'm sure as hell! Nobody told us about this! This is not good!_ " Kagami's panicked tone pulled him from his thoughts. " _We gotta — gotta regroup, we gotta tell Akashi and Aomine! This is just too sudden!_ "

Not good. Kagami was agitated — he could tell clearly. Kuroko needed to calm the redhead first. They could not solve nor talk about this properly while one of them was panicking.

"Kagami-kun, please calm down. Panicking won't help our cause." Kuroko told him gently, but firmly. He breathed once, deeply. Kuroko had to maintain a cool head and focus — this was a delicate matter. "This is what I think; we must not panic and carry on with the assignment. If we regroup now, we won't have much time left to finish our assignment."

He paused, thinking.

Tightening his lips, Kuroko swiftly made a decision — it was a necessary one. "Kagami-kun, please finish your task first. We will discussed this matter thereafter."

Kagami was expectedly baffled. " _What!? Are you nuts? How are you — do you understand what I'm saying? Kuroko, this is an emergency!_ "

"Because it is necessary to keep a rational mind, Kagami-kun. A disrupted one does not solve problems." Kuroko sternly told him off. Although the composure in his own voice surprised even Kuroko himself. He felt his mental state had grown used to the constant stress and pressure — to being given no option — that when he'd seen the chances, they were better than none — something Kagami had a lack of understanding, he guessed.

"Please be calm — it may seem to be the situation had gotten worse, but the Director has yet to show himself. We still have time, it is still morning. He may come in late; we must seize the chance while we still can. It's only the matter of having to work quicker, because the deadline has unfortunately been cut off short." Kuroko gritted his teeth, breathing in and out.

"Kagami-kun, please, continue your task. We will speak of this later."

There was a long pause from across the line.

" —  _I really have no fucking idea how you and Akashi can stay calm about this."_  Kuroko could hear him sigh. " _Even Kasamatsu and Furihata, you got every right to get angry and lose your shit but I'm the one losing mine. Makes me feel bad about it_."

"We … must not be distracted from our roles. I have been here long enough to want to seize any chance I could, should it present itself to me." Kuroko stated.

"Kagami-kun, this method has brought you here — it has brought all of you to us. I do think it is the best way of dealing with the problem. I ask of you to do the same. I know this is difficult to do; we do not know what the future brings. We can only do what we can, presently. We will deal with what comes when it approaches us." He reasoned, calmly.

Another pause, but a short one.

" _I have to get my shit together. That's what you're saying, right? I'll try not to freak out too much. I - I'll go with what you said."_  Kagami said, sounding more muted than usual, but less rattled. " _Kuroko, just — just promise me you'd be more careful. Don't get separated from Kise, alright?_ "

"I will, Kagami-kun. Please do the same." Kuroko replied. How typical. Kagami never seemed to worry about himself, even though the redhead was in the same level of danger as Kuroko was, maybe more should he be discovered. He admired that part of him.

They ended the call, leaving Kuroko with one short minute to comprehend the new piece of information. Director Daichi would come at noon, it was still around 8 the last time he checked — they still had at least four more hours to go. There wasn't many options left, Kuroko couldn't predict what would happen once he arrived, but he wouldn't just sit around and do nothing. He put the phone back into the sack and tied it, turning to the blonde on the lookout.

"Kise-kun, I have something to tell you." Kuroko told him, then proceeded to explain the things Kagami told him. Kise had stared at him wide-eyed and mouth hung open.

"Wha — that's really bad, don't you think?" The blonde said, voice shaken.

"We don't know yet, but I can't say I can imagine anything good about it. But we can't be more distracted from our task." Kuroko firmly stated. "We will continue spreading the items. We only have approximately four hours more before noon, we must hurry." They couldn't be too picky anymore. Once the East Wing's cleared out, they must move towards the Centre building immediately.

Kise clamped his mouth shut, lips tightened to a rigid half-frown, but nodded then. "I'll go with whatever you're planning, Kurokocchi." The blonde said. "I mean, I'm not good with the thinking, so it's better that you do it. I'll do the physical labour and anything like that."

"Yes. You're an excellent distraction. I trust your ability, Kise-kun." Kuroko sincerely said.

Meanwhile, Kise's expression was still frozen in shock — but due to another reason. " _Whoa_. Kurokocchi did you just  _honestly_  compliment me? Seriously? Whoa. That's like  _super rare_! I feel so confident all of a sudden!" He exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Don't push it." Kuroko deadpanned, annoyed. It was so easy for Kise's mind to run off the topic, distracted. Kuroko sighed. But, he supposed that could also be a way for the blonde to cope with stressful situation, to take his mind off of things by means of humor. Kuroko could understand.

"Anyway, we have to go now. The third floor's patient rooms are currently empty. We'll choose the ones nearest to the nurse station. After that, the other floors. Then, we move onto the Centre Wing. We haven't got much time left." He clenched his jaw.

"Let's go."

As they were leaving the staff-only area in the corridor at the back of the East building, Kise was stopped by a nurse who just happened to pass by. As usual, Kuroko wasn't noticed due to his weak presence, who was stunned the moment the blonde amped up his pheromone level. It was akin to mind control, Kuroko thought to himself. Heavy Seeds' pheromones were so powerful it could charm the lesser Seeds and make them submit, seemingly out of their own will — their aura of intimidation would force them to their knees.

Of course, it would work most effectively towards people with weaker mentality. In his own experience, Kuroko had never been affected by any Heavy Seed's pheromone, being surrounded by five of them during Teikou. Although their aura was still intimidating, he had to admit. Kagami had never tried that move on him — only when they were intimate, as it was a mutual, natural thing that enhanced the sensations. It was not forced. Otherwise, it was barely ethical. In this case, they had no option, however.

Kise convinced the nurse he was just lost on his way back to the Centre building, and the nurse ate up his lie immediately, partly because Kise was so natural at it. Kuroko sarcastically wondered just how many women had the blonde deceived with his charming smile and flirty attitude. He mentally scoffed.

In the end, Kise wasn't really cut out with learning misdirection, after all, there were so many female nurses here who noticed his presence right away. He worked way better as a distraction than as an infiltrator. Kuroko quickly established the ground; Kise would keep a lookout and distract the staff at the nearby nurse station, and Kuroko would sneak into the empty patient rooms while Kise worked his magic on the general female population.

When he entered one of the unlocked rooms, Kuroko noticed how the furniture was covered in a thin layer of dusts, leaving traces of them on his index finger. The suggestion told him that unless being used, the hospital hadn't been keeping up with the cleanliness of the rooms despite the fact that it should be a priority in a supposedly sterile environment. How strange. Could it be that the hospital was trying to cut expenses? He wondered.

Kuroko shook his head. He had no time to estimate such a trivial thing, he should get back to the task at hand. He immediately looked for the fire alarms, finding one just attached on the ceilings at the farther side of the room, near the window. There was a small cupboard under it, so he sneaked one tube in just behind the spine of one of the cupboard's feet towards the inner side. When it was ignited, the smoke should go up immediately. Kuroko also opened the window a little to allow the smoke to fly outside for the visual.

After everything was set, he went out of the room. He glanced to Kise, who was still doing his flirting action. Then he went to another one, two rooms apart and repeated the action, until he spent 3 more smoke bombs on that floor. He had 7 left. They were running out quickly. He had to choose the places carefully. Kise still had his full share for the Central building.

He glanced at the clock and noticed it was already around forty minutes past eight. If everything went smoothly and they could keep this up, they could finish on time. Anything else after that, simply would have to be dealt with later. Kuroko returned to where Kise was and signalled the blonde he was done with the floor. Kise nodded and charmingly bade the nurses good bye, before leaving with Kuroko for their next destination; the seventh floor and the rooftop. The latter due to the clear visibility of the smoke.

Kuroko hoped Kagami was doing alright — so far there hadn't been anymore calls. No, he had to focus, Kuroko told himself. He could worry later.

The seventh floor consisted mostly with emptier VIP and VVIP rooms, where their room was. Kuroko dissuaded Kise from visiting Kasamatsu to make sure he was alright ("Kise-kun, Kasamatsu-san is with Murasakibara-kun. I'm sure he's fine." He claimed, dragging the pouting blonde away from the corridor towards their room). Kise acted like as the distraction as Kuroko sneaked in.

Again, he found that the rooms were covered in a fine layer of dust — the rooms they'd stayed at were most likely cleaned before offered to them.

Another 3 items were used on the seventh floor. 4 left. The rooftop above that floor was the last.

Looking into the opening of the sack and shaking them lightly in his hands, Kuroko had a strange intuition — something inside of him whispered, softly. From the depths of his psyche, a voice resounded into the cranium of his head, echoing in deeply, trembling heavily like the growl of an animal. But somehow, Kuroko could understand clearly what it was saying.

"Don't use them all." The beastly voice told him. "Keep one. You may need it."

It was curious that Kuroko found himself agreeing to the voice's suggestion. He took one tube from the sack and pushed it into his own jeans' pocket, and patted it snugly with a hand, before he left the room to fetch Kise.

There were hardly anyone in the stairway to the rooftop. But he could spot the CCTV overlooking the door to access the roof. Kuroko looked at it, wary. There were security cameras everywhere, even the access stairway to the rooftop. Kuroko was sure eventually someone would notice how they were going all over the place — hopefully they could still take advantage of the state of the lack of manpower, although he was certain it couldn't be for long. The lock was manual, but the door was unlocked, for some reasons.

Three more items were placed on a shaded part of the roof, Kuroko made a small hole just near the corner of the wall, for the tubes to go in so they wouldn't be blown away by the strong wind — as it was pretty windy up there. There was a helipad there — Kuroko noticed by the large red circular mark drawn on the spacious open area. He looked on, at the sight of the vast greeneries stretching far and surrounding the vicinity. He could see the tall buildings of Tokyo, suddenly he felt sad and empty. He longed to go home.

His mother — Kuroko wanted to know if his family was alright? Aomine said they wouldn't target his family, but — Kuroko didn't want to make her worry so much. Nigou. He wondered if Nigou missed him. And his father. Did his father know of this? The last time he saw him, his father was going on a one-week business trip. His mother was alone at home with Nigou and the cats.

He felt wet heat begin to well up at the back of his eyes. Kuroko inhaled deeply and swallowed the lump that stuck in the back of his throat, holding back his tears and biting back a sob. The wind blew at his hair, gently, but it did little to lessen his sadness.

Kuroko turned on his heel and walked towards the door, where the blonde was waiting for him. "Kise-kun, let's hurry. It'll be noon in a few hours." He wasn't allowed to cry, not anymore. He knew it could do nothing to help their situation, so Kuroko simply  _didn't_.

10:06 A.M., they had roughly two hours more. They had to hurry. Kuroko and Kise swiftly went for the kill. They arrived at the third floor of the Centre Wing via the skywalk. Kuroko briefly paused to gather his wits and plan for their next move.

The library was on the second floor. There were plenty of flammable materials there, such as the papers and the books, even the wooden furniture. If they could get make it seem like the books were burning, surely the library staff would notice and attempt to evacuate the area? It was located fairly near the baby nursery. Kuroko couldn't access the maternity facility because he didn't have the key card anymore. He might need Kise to coax the staff to open the door for them — but then, the library was open for public, less suspicious.

He decided to go there, instead.

Kise had handed over his portion of the items to Kuroko, which he'd put into the now almost empty sack for safe keeping. The lack of bodyguards within the hospital was a blessing. He wondered why they didn't put more guards inside the facility? Maybe because they made the patients uncomfortable? They did look rather unsettling. After all, unlike them, they were just there for the treatments. Thus, the CCTVs were installed strategically for surveillance, Kuroko thought.

The library was quiet and mostly empty. Kuroko found secluded corners with fire alarms attached to the ceilings, then discreetly place them on the top of the bookshelves — Kise gave him a boost for each one of them. He placed 4 of them there, just to make sure it would give an extra fright. Possibly, they would try to evacuate the children first before attempting to find the source of the incident.

4 were dispatched, 9 items left.

After they left the library, Kuroko considered going to the orphan's dormitory, but he remembered the area was guarded by one or two bodyguards — he would need access with the key card as well. He took it upon himself to take a short break in the restroom, and texted Kagami to ask of his progress. Kise waited for him at the entrance, while Kuroko sat on the toilet inside one of the cubicles, waiting for a reply.

He let out a sigh of relief when Kagami replied back a few minutes later, apparently he'd left the staff dorm and was scanning the rest of the building. Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows as he read the information Kagami had gotten from the hospital's staff — the Director was coming with a number of bodyguards to add to the roster, possibly even more than what the institution needed. He paused, then. That didn't sound good.

Could it be, that the Director specifically put a tighter surveillance because of the mating date of Kise and Kuroko? It was possible. He would lose the hospital if he were to fail the goal, so he was being careful, precise and detailed. Kuroko realised, this would mean less mobility and even narrower window of opportunity — he predicted that Kise and Kuroko would be put under more duress, more restrain and possibly separated from the others. They couldn't participate in the plans if that possibility were to happen. A bleak premonition.

Kuroko put the phone into the bag, tied it and stood up. He strode out of the cubicle and grabbed a confused Kise to continue their task. No time. There was  _no time_  for anything else. This  _had_  to work. Kuroko was certain he'd have less freedom by tomorrow — or by the end of the day, as grim of a realisation as it was — the  _draft_  must be completed  _before_  the Director arrived.

The beast stirred within him, growing restless — growing  _angry_.

Too many risks, too many to lose. Both Kuroko and Kise had friends and lovers held captive in this institution. What would become of them, then? There was no assurance  _they_  wouldn't try to restrain their beloved and put them in danger, all in order to force them into doing whatever they wanted. The thought roused a heated rage from deep within the pit of his stomach, it branded a scorching path that was crawling up, swirling into his head. His blood boiled with the heat, bubbling up in his veins and hissing venomously.  _No_.

He couldn't be  _feeling_  this right now. Kuroko must remain composed and focused.

He told the beast to calm down, to wait for the right moment, as he and Kise went to the next destination. The beast snarled at him, but remained still — now they would need to repeat the process again with a collected mind and a solid goal. That was priority of the moment.

—

Kagami almost jumped when his cellphone suddenly vibrated in his trouser. Thinking it was Kuroko who'd called, Kagami immediately put it against his ear and pushed the call receive button. "… Kuroko!? What is it?" He blurted out almost immediately.

The voice that replied him didn't sound at all like Kuroko, however. "Huh…? Who's this? You're not Tetsu."

It clicked.

"Aomine!? Why are you — " He exclaimed a bit too loudly, he abruptly quieted down with a hand slapped over his mouth. It might be somewhere secluded — the back of some dodgy corridor, but he couldn't be too loud. Thank god there was nobody around. Kagami retreated to a shaded, small corner to resume his sentence.

" — ugh, anyway, why are you calling?" He asked, voice more muted.

" … wait, is this  _Bakagami_? I thought I was calling Tetsu's numbers!" He could hear a snort from across the line. A vein popped somewhere at the back of Kagami's head.

"You're seriously pissing me off,  _Ahomine_. Why are you calling Kuroko anyway — I mean, you have something important to say or what!? If you have nothing of worth, I'm gonna end the call." He fumed, irritated. Even at times like this Aomine was still trying to provoke him. What the hell, the asshole.

"I'm not calling to insult you, Kagami. This is urgent — I thought I'd call Tetsu first, but since you're here already, might as well tell you." Aomine's tone suddenly took a serious turn, no longer making fun of him. Kagami clamped his mouth shut. "My uncle's on his way to the institution right now. He's bringing around 20 bodyguards with him; he's gonna put a strict surveillance for the mating date. More security, more details, more everything."

"Yeah, I know. Someone told me — a bodyguard — he thought I'm a new guy. I told Kuroko about this, too. He probably told Kise already. You know what he said? Said I should worry about that later and continue the assignment. Unbelievable, but I guess reasonable. He's always like that, nothing shakes him." Kagami said, scratching his neck. "What's going on, Aomine? You didn't warn us about this. We didn't know he's coming this quickly."

A pause.

"He … didn't tell me. I found out just now, from uncle's personal assistant. I'm on a bike now. Hopefully, I'll beat him and arrive sooner." Aomine told him, grimly. "I think he's suspicious of me, too. I've been showing too much support for Tetsu and Kise, maybe tried to persuade him too many times. He probably thinks I'm on their side, so he doesn't tell me anything, anymore. I was too careless."

Kagami took a sharp intake. Great, now what? He was almost done with his task. Had two smoke bomb tubes left in his pocket. He could start thinking about this particular problem.

" … How about Akashi? Does he know about this? Is he with you right now?" He asked, the redhead would usually come up with solutions, seemingly out of nowhere — but he was the most reliable out of all of them.

"He knows. But he's too busy with the witnesses, getting support for gramps and getting him out of house arrest, so can't bother him right now. He sent me in as a stand-in. He told me to get whatever I can about what my uncle's planning — 'cos it looks like he's changing his plans. He's getting more unpredictable, I can't guess what he's gonna do next. I know it's not gonna be good, that's for sure." Kagami heard a tired, sluggish sigh from across the line.

He wondered if Aomine have had a good night's rest since this whole mess began? It was his family's reputation that was being dragged into the mud. And by the end of this, it would be even worse, no matter what happened. His uncle couldn't get away with his crimes — the abductions, the blackmail and the shady deals. There was no way Akashi would let him off that easily. It could possibly ruin everything his family had built for generations.

Kagami actually started feeling sorry for the teen. His jerkass attitude still pissed him off — but Kagami was willing to let it go. For now.

"When will you be here? I'm gonna get the others." Kagami asked. He needed to see Kuroko later, he needed to see his mate, or Kagami would start getting agitated again — he admitted it was lame, but seeing Kuroko's face never failed to calm him down. Kuroko was his sanctuary, the only one he could feel at peace with.

"One hour, top. I'm gonna use full speed. Uncle's bringing a whole troop with him, that gotta slow him down somewhat." Aomone told him. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'll call you — or Tetsu, again when I'm there. We need to let everyone know. Akashi's said he's gonna call us for instructions."

"Yeah, got it." Kagami agreed. Then, he suddenly remembered something. "Wait, Aomine, do you even have a  _licen_ — " The call was cut short then.

Kagami stared at the phone, baffled. He thought they'd need to at least be eighteen to have a motorcycle license? … yeah, Kagami decided not to think too much about it. At this rate, anything was fine. They couldn't be too picky. Any help was welcomed. Hopefully Aomine wouldn't get pulled over for speeding or something. Ugh, it could be worse.

He took one last look at the screen, taking in the sight of the digital clock at the top right side; 10:50 A.M.

Kagami decided to go back to the room now, and waited for Kuroko to return. He smoothly pushed his phone into his inner pocket, then started striding off to the opposite direction. It was the sixth floor, he'd get to the third to reach the skywalk.

By the time Kagami returned, it was 11:10 A.M. he'd gotten a little lost on his way back, but not for too long.

Kise and Kuroko weren't back yet. The room was occupied by Kasamatsu and Furihata, and apparently Murasakibara was sulking outside because the doctor had kicked him out, again. The doctor and the nurse were leaving when he arrived though, so Kagami and Murasakibara entered the room. The former thought it might be the right time to explain what he learnt from the staff and Aomine, calling everyone in attendance for their attention. They arranged the chairs around Furihata's bed.

Kasamatsu was the first to react to the news. "Today? That's … too sudden." He commented, eyes wide. "That can't be on a whim, is it? I have a bad feeling about this."

"Yeah, I don't think it's just a coincidence either. Aomine said he's changing his plans and that he's unpredictable now. We have to be on our guard. You guys are our weakness — not that I think you're weak. But if anything happens, we gotta protect you. When shit goes down, I'm afraid they'll target you first." The older boy comforted Furihata, when the brunette turned pale at the revelation.

"I can take care of myself, and Murasakibara can protect Furihata. I'm well enough to do so." Kasamatsu calmly said, the creases between his eyebrows deepened. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't fight for myself. On the contrary, I've been feeling more … how do I describe this? I feel like I'm getting the urge to be aggressive and reckless. Maybe it's the hormones, or maybe it is the instincts. This, is an unusual situation, after all."

"I'll protect Fu-chin and Kasa-chin, Kaga-chin. Don't worry." Murasakibara easliy said, tilting his head and munching on his chocolate bar. The corners of his mouth were smeared with small brown spots.

"Oh, yeah. Probably." Maternal instincts, huh? Kagami thought. A pregnant Wereperson tended to be aggressive and protective, but Kasamatsu had been handling it well, so far. He hadn't snapped or lost his cool.

"Anyway, uh, how are you Kasamatsu? … -san. Sorry, I dunno how I should address you." Kasamatsu's definitely not his senpai, so… he couldn't call him senpai. And he wasn't Kagami's opponent in the court right now, either.

" 'Kasamatsu-san' is alright. Although, it does remind me of my old man." The older boy chuckled softly. "… it can be better, can be worse. I've been having nausea and vomiting a little bit, nothing too serious. Kise's been exaggerating. I'm mostly fine. Besides, Furihata is in worse condition than I am." He stiffly said, turning to the younger brunette.

"Kasamatsu-san, I'm okay. Just can't move that much. Sorry, I've been inconveniencing you and everyone. I mean, you have your own problems to deal with." Furihata grinned shakily at the older boy, complexion pale and sickly. Kagami noticed, what he said might have shaken his teammate. Shit.

Kasamatsu sighed.

"Really, Furihata. Stop with that attitude. You've been a good friend and you should be proud of your achievements. Otherwise, I've been enjoying the conversations we share. I think it's an equal enough exchange to lighten up my day in this godforsaken place, I should thank  _you_  for that." He gently but firmly told Furihata, who blinked and nodded shyly. Kagami nodded along in agreement, crossing his arms. His teammate needed some boost of self-confidence, seriously.

He was curious, though. How could Kasamatsu be so collected at a time like this?

"Yeah but uh, how about the thing with Kise, mating with Kuroko? I mean, you've been calm about it. Aren't you opposed to it? I'm sure as hell not cool with it. As you've seen — the lame parts. I wanna know what you think about this." Kagami felt dirty for having added the word 'mating' in between Kise and Kuroko's names. Unlike Kasamatsu, he'd snapped at the suggestion every now and then. But it never seemed to bother the older boy.

Kasamatsu suddenly stiffened, meanwhile Furihata had tossed him a disbelieving, shocked look, mouth hanging open and gaze accussing.

"Kagami, what are you talking about? Of course Kasamatsu-san isn't okay with that! You can't seriously be thinking that he doesn't feel anything about it!" He exclaimed with raised voice. Kagami was taken aback — he didn't think he'd ever heard Furihata yell before, defending Kasamatsu and getting angry for him. Then he saw Furihata flinched, covering the split part of his mouth and wincing.

The older boy quietly put his hand over Furihata's back, rubbing circles.

"It's alright, Furihata. Try not to talk too much." He told the younger boy, then he turned to Kagami, expression hardened. " … Kagami, I don't believe this is the time for me to be too concerned about my personal problems. There is much to deal with, and the issues between Kise and I … it will have to wait until everything has settled down. This is just not the right time to do that."

He paused.

"And to answer your question, the answer is no. I am not happy with it, if you must know." He said, his eyes weren't looking at Kagami, staring absently into the space. Blank and difficult to read. Kagami could detect the sadness in them, flickering faintly.

Fuck, now he felt bad about it.

"I — shit, sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive, but somehow I did anyway.  _Again_. I was just — I dunno, I guess I needed someone to relate with, or something. I mean, my mate is going to — shit, I'm really sorry, Furihata, Kasamatsu-san!" He stood up from his seat and bowed deeply to Kasamatsu. He didn't know what else to do.

"It's alright, Kagami. You don't have to apologise. I know it's been hard for you and Kuroko, too." Kasamatsu said, smiling to him. Whoa, that was a first. He looked younger and less tensed when he smiled like that. " … it's just something I don't prefer to talk about, I hope you understand."

"Uh, yeah, of course! I won't pry if you tell me that. Sorry for even asking the obvious, Kasamatsu-san." Kagami quickly said, sitting down again.

"Thanks." The older boy nodded as well, his smile a little shaky. Furihata was staring at him, looking worried.

Kagami really felt bad — it wasn't like he was close to Kasamatsu, so that was a stupid move, to try asking something personal. Kasamatsu looked like someone who valued his own privacy, reserved. Gah, he couldn't believe himself! Kuroko had told him he was insensitively blunt sometimes, and looked at what he did! He was ashamed of himself.

"Kuroko's still with Kise, by the way." Kagami tried to divert the topic. It was a bit awkward now. "They're still working on the Centre Wing, he told me. They're going back soon, later on."

Now that he thought of it, it was almost noon. He wondered if Kise and Kuroko would make it on time. Maybe Kagami had to go and help them — or not, Kuroko would've thought Kagami didn't trust him. Besides, two people were better than one. He could stay there with the rest, an additional guard. He should wait.

So he stayed and chatted with them as they waited for Kuroko and Kise. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk with Kasamatsu, so they talked about basketball, seeing they hadn't gotten a chance to exercise. It was oddly comforting, talking about something so trivial at that moment. Kagami really missed practice, and everyone felt the same.

They went through past matches, then reviewed moves and basketball techniques. Furihata freely admitted how he admired Kuroko and Kasamatsu's ways of supporting their aces, his eyes sparkled as he did. Kasamatsu pointed out elements in which Furihata could improve on, as fellow point guards — after all, he was the former Captain of Kaijo, Kagami was impressed by his analysis of Furihata's stats, having gone face to face with each other only once during Winter Cup.

Eventually, even Murasakibara joined in on the conversation. The titan made it seem like he didn't care for the sport, but Kagami knew otherwise — he looked as hungry to play basketball as he was to eat sweets. Sometimes Kagami would take charge of the defence when needed, and someone like Murasakibara who was practically born to be in the Centre position, gave really good pointers, somehow managing to make fun of Kagami's crude defence techniques while he was at it. Kagami only fumed quietly.

Time flew quickly, with the exciting topic of the small forum they created. Kagami realised it was already past twelve. He glanced at the door and heard nothing. Where was Kuroko and Kise? He wondered, worried. Kasamatsu noticed him staring, his gaze made a line towards the door.

"They're late, aren't they?" The older boy said.

"Kuroko said they'll be back before noon, I assumed he means before twelve o'clock. He's rarely late." Kagami said, a little muted. "I don't know. I'm just worried, maybe it's just me. I can't help it, I don't want to lose him."

Kasamatsu looked at him. "I see. Kuroko has nothing to worry about if he has you, Kagami." Kagami whipped his head to the older boy, cheeks flushed hot. He was speechless.

"I, uh, thanks?" He lamely returned the sentiment. "I mean, it's nothing special. Kuroko's my mate. I want to protect him."

The older boy's eyes darted away. "He's lucky." He murmured under his breath, barely audible. "Kagami, if you're worried, you can go look for them. We'll be fine."

It wasn't like Kagami wanted to leave them, but he needed Kuroko to be fine. He needed to know. Maybe he'd call him first. "Are you sure…? I mean, not that I wanna leave you all alone, I just —  _Kuroko_  — I'm just worried 'cos Aomine said—" He found it hard to come up with better words to explain himself.

"It's fine. Just go." Kasamatsu firmly told him, sounding more like an order than a permission. His voice carried a certain authority in it, that Kagami shut his trap and nodded in agreement quickly, posture stiff.

Kagami bade them goodbye, he told Murasakibara to take care of them, which the purple-haired giant sluggishly confirmed with a yes. He was lazy, but when things came down to it, Kagami could be sure that Murasakibara would do what it took to protect Kasamatsu and Furihata.

Kagami patted a hand to his chest where the cellphone was kept, he walked out of the room then, intending to find somewhere private and call Kuroko. Aomine too, now that he remembered — he hadn't called Kagami even though it was already past an hour. Where was he?

At the corner of his vision, five black blurs appeared — Kagami turned his head so fast he could hear his neck made a tiny crack, sweat beading down his temples, for no apparent reason. Then he understood the cause, as there were five bodyguards standing several feet away from him, impassive and intimidating. Unlike the other bodyguards, there were two Heavy Seeds in the mix, boldly displaying their beasts out in the open — a black bear and a leopard, the ghosts of their beasts hovering above them, simulteanously increasing in size.

The bear was tall, taller than him but maybe not as big as Murasakibara, with broad shoulders and black hair, tan skin. The leopard had auburn hair and pale skin, slimmer than the bear's and was around his height. Both were in black suit, the same as the rest.

Kagami staggered, but didn't take one step back, because his back was already on the door. He came to a swift realisation that Furihata and Kasamatsu resided within, there was Murasakibara, but they were clearly outnumbered with the other three Middle Seeds. His instincts blared in his mind, dangerous. Too risky.

"You. We're told to bring you to the Director." The bear pointed a finger at him, voice riddled with a deep tremor. The bear above him snarled, baring its teeth.

Kagami swallowed deeply, finding it difficult to breathe. Shit, so that damned Director was there, already. He silently cursed under his breaths. What did he want with him? At least it looked like they wanted Kagami,  _only_. Somehow the thought relieved him — if they were going to take away the others, Kagami would be forced to fight there and then. There was no way he'd let them touch his friends, even if the chances of winning were slim.

Kagami growled loudly, on purpose. He noticed the noises died down from inside of the room. They must've realised something was off. Good. Better for them to remain alarmed. Kagami bit his lip. He had no choice but to go with it.

"Okay. I'll go with you." He agreed, his skin pricked with beads of cold sweat.

He could hear his own Tiger snarling furiously at him and clawing to get him out of its cage, Kagami adamantly refused, he couldn't risk provoking them and endangering the others. He couldn't take advantage of the situation if he was ambushed like this, he had to look for other chances, maybe when they were far away from the others.

Kagami clenched his jaw and bit back the urge to transform and just fight them — maybe Kuroko's composure was rubbing off to him, he was being uncharacteristically calm. His instincts told him to look for another opportunity.

"Wise choice." The leopard sneered, next to the bear.

Kagami furrowed his eyebrows and clamped his mouth shut, obediently approaching them when told to. The group broke to two and three, the two Heavy Seeds walked at the front as the Middle Seeds followed from behind, wedging Kagami in the middle with calculated gaps that separated them. He glanced at the door and hoped things wouldn't get worse. He could only pray — especially for Kuroko. Kagami wished they hadn't gotten to his mate.

Inhaling in and out slowly, to control his nerves, Kagami followed the two Heavy Seeds.

They passed by similar corridors and hallways, they passed by some of the hospital's staff who were staring warily and avoiding them in a hurry. Kagami wondered if such a thing wasn't common to them, for a group of six (including himself) bodyguards to walk around the hospital, they were making other people nervous for no apparent reasons, especially those two who weren't hiding their true forms — freely showing them off.

They weren't acting like normal bodyguards, Kagami realised. Those two were different from the others, more aggressive, powerful. They were of far higher quality than those of common bodyguards. Full-fledged adult Werebeasts who were trained in martial arts with plenty experience in the field, Kagami wondered if he could win if he fought them alone — no good, he couldn't imagine he'd win. Kagami tightened his jaw. He had to use his brain if he wanted to  _survive_  this.

Kagami was brought to the Centre Building's 8th floor, Kagami immediately noticed the smell of the floor was different. A mix of different scents, in which some of which smelled familiar.

Kagami amped up his senses for scent-tracking — it was hard to distinguish the unique scents from that of the hospital's, the compounds in the scents were more complex to separate than that of sounds. He was better at hearing than scenting, used to blocking them during Basketball games. It was good enough for tracking, but if it was heavily mixed like this, especially with those two Heavy Seeds disrupting his radar with their strong scents. It was tricky. Kagami forced himself to concentrate.

He felt his heart dropped when he caught a whiff of Kuroko's scent, getting stronger as they walked further into the corridor. There were a second and a third familiar scents. He identified the second one near Kuroko, as Kise. And the third one …  _Aomine_.

They got them.

Warmth drained from his face, at the realisation. The bodyguards had brought him to a door, where he didn't need to use much of his beastly features to know who was behind that door. The moment the door was opened, he could feel an ominous coldness wafted out of the room, heavy and icy, carrying a strange dryness that was sucking out the moisture in the air, arid.

Kagami gulped, deeply. Kuroko was inside, he knew. He walked past the threshold and the temperature dropped several degrees, despite the fact it was a sunny day outside. He resisted the urge to shiver, his eyes scanned across the room for Kuroko. In his head, he could only see his mate, as if under a spotlight — the only one who radiated warmth and light in the midst of the darkness, standing in the middle of the room, looking back at him with widened sky blue eyes. He was like an oasis in the dessert.

"Kagami-kun?" He heard Kuroko utter, surprised. Kagami's stiffened body relaxed at the sight of his mate, unharmed.

" _Kuroko!_ " Kagami couldn't resist the temptation, he broke into a run towards his mate without hesitation. He needed to feel Kuroko's warmth against himself and breathe in his scents. He needed it like he needed air or water. He needed Kuroko.

"Restrain him."

He saw two pairs of arms stretched out from either side of his vision, quicker than he could react— they looped themselves around Kagami, one limb wrapped around his neck, another grappled his arm and shoulder, while the other pair of limbs grappled the other and around his chest — Kagami was locked in, pulled and dragged back, away from Kuroko even as he struggled against it, yelling and screaming, his legs kicking the ground and the air in vain.

"WHAT THE FUCK!? LET ME GO!! KUROKO!!! KURO— " He gasped and his screams were cut short, when the arm tightened around his windpipe, forcing him to gag by the sudden lack of air and the force of the vice-like grip. His head suddenly burst with a dull pain.

"Be quiet, geez. Be a good boy and  _shut up_." One of them said. It was the leopard. The other one who was restraining him, was the bear.

"Kai, don't choke him too much. We're not making the kid pass out, it's too troublesome to carry him around." The bear's heavy voice told him, laced in authority. The leopard tsk'd and loosened his hold, enough to allow air back into Kagami's lungs. He coughed violently, gasping for air.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Kuroko was being held back by Kise, as he attempted to reach Kagami, his arms stretched towards him.

"Let … go!!" Kagami tried to break away, he pulled and scratched his elongated nails over the arms that restrained him, only for the leopard to once again tighten the hold around his neck long enough until he choked and almost passed out, making inhuman gagging noises with each pressure. He did it several times, tightened and loosened his grip until Kagami was limp, sufficiently deprived of air and wheezing. The area around his neck ached with rawness.

"KAGAMI-KUN!! Let me go, Kise-kun!"

But the blonde wouldn't let him go. Kagami mindlessly held up his shaking, listless arm and stretched towards his mate, wanting to reach him. He was so close, yet so far. It was so frustrating, he couldn't help the hot wetness gathering at the back of his eyes. "K - Ku … ro… ko…." Even speaking was a struggle, his throat was hurting, aching.

Kuroko's face was twisted in sorrow and fear — how Kagami wanted to wipe that look from his visage — before Kuroko turned on his heels, pleading with someone at the far back of the room. Kagami couldn't see who it was, his vision was blurring and unfocused. He could still hear them clearly.

"Don't hurt him. I beg you! I'll do whatever you want. So  _please,_ just don't hurt him."

A heavy pause filled the room.

"You called him  _Kagami_ , didn't you? … Daiki, what is the meaning of this?"

Kagami blinked several times, still gasping for breath. The clarity returned to his vision gradually, he saw a man was sitting on a brown leather couch across the room, clad in a black and white outfit — a doctor's coat. He was an imposing man in his 50's, tall with a solid build even when covered in clothes.

Kagami knew he must be tall, from the length of his legs that were crossing casually. He could see the similarities between the Director and Aomine, the colour of his dark skin, the dark blue hair tinted in grey — even their faces looked slightly alike; things like the shapes of their eyes and nose, as if constructed from the same mold.

His voice was deeper, and the expression on his face was lacking of warmth — stiff and cold and marred with hard lines, that drew him in an unsympathetic impression, as if nothing would move him. It didn't escape Kagami's notice, how calm he was when he told his men to restrain him, his expression didn't change as he looked at Kagami, remaining impassive as if nothing out of ordinary had happened.

" — Uncle, stop this! Tetsu's agreed to the terms, what more do you want? This isn't right! Let Kagami go — let him go, Uncle." His gaze turned to Aomine, who was sitting on the couch at the left side from his uncle. His face was scrunched up, expression shaken— his voice wasn't steady as he spoke to his uncle.

"You're  _avoiding_  the question, Daiki. Maybe I wasn't being clear enough? Fine, then. I will rephrase it.  _Why_ , is the Arctic Fox's mate  _here_ , in  _my_   _hospital_ , Daiki? Answer me. And do not try to lie, to me, Daiki. What are you planning?" The Director emphasised on each word of the question, his tone grew darker and heavier as his sentence finished itself.

Aomine fell silent, conflict written over his features. He looked at Kagami, then to Kuroko and Kise, mouth hung opened and moved but no sound escaped his lips— Kagami had never seen Aomine looked that way before — like a frightened child, not the beast Kagami faced in court. He couldn't say anything, without ratting out the plans and exposing everything, about Akashi and Momoi and Midorima. If he did, he would also endanger the rest; Furihata, Kasamatsu and Muraskibara who were still in the hospital, waiting for them.

"You're not going to answer me, Daiki?" The Director had looked surprisingly calm, instead of getting angry, leaning back to the sofa and crossing his arms. Aomine stared at his own lap, silent. The Director sighed, then he turned his attention and looked at each of them; to Kuroko, Kise and Kagami.

"Imagine my surprise, when my Head of Security reported something curious, yesterday.  _My_  Prized Arctic Fox was caught on tape,  _trifling_   _with_  a bodyguard I never remembered having hired. Even more curious, when I learned that he was brought to  _my_  hospital by  _my_  very own, beloved nephew." He uttered the words, his tone possessive and dark.

Kagami bared his teeth, irritation was growing inside his guts, his body suddenly brimmed with a renewed vigour.

"Kuroko is  _not_  yours. He's  _my_  mate!  _MINE!_ " He barked out and attempted to leap forward, enraged and vicious.

Even as the leopard and the bear held him back and choked him again, Kagami snarled, rebellious, he didn't regret having yelled, not at all. Kuroko was  _his_  mate. He resented the way they treated Kuroko like he was a possession— a prized  _pet_ , not Kagami's beloved person. How  _fucking_  dare they.

"Apologies, Director. Looks like this one's still got some fight left in him. Heh." The leopard fastened his hold, but Kagami refused to back down, glaring holes towards the fucking old man — if looks could kill, he would have killed the man a million times over.

"Stop it! Please!" Kuroko pleaded, panicked. Kise was still restraining him. The latter's complexion was as white as sheets, he was eerily quiet.

Kagami wished Kuroko wouldn't do that— wouldn't beg to that ruthless son of a bitch. Kagami couldn't forgive him, he wouldn't.  _Never_. For having treated Kuroko like this, for having taken him away from Kagami, for dragging their friends into this mess — for forcing his beloved to mate with another person under threats and blackmail. Unforgivable.

How Kagami wanted to  _rip open_  that man's throat. He fantasised tearing the tender flesh with his claws or fangs, the tendons and pieces of skin left frayed around the gaping hole he'd torn open, the veins burst with spurts of deep crimson blood, staining the impeccable white coat with a beautiful rouge. Kagami could hear the beast within him hummed, its throat vibrated a melodious tremor — in sync with his murderous desire. His eyes burst in heat, transforming. He wanted to smell the blood and taste it at the tip of his tongue, badly.

"Hey! Quit that." The leopard tightened his hold, he choked him until Kagami lost the concentration, only letting him loose when he was feeling faint.

Aomine suddenly stood up, facing the Director. "Uncle, stop. Don't do this. I beg you,  _don't do this_. This is fucked up, I don't want to  _see_  you like  _this_! Please — please,  _stop_. Let Kagami go, Uncle." Aomine's voice broke at the end of the sentence as he pleaded, over and over again.

Kagami thought he was imagining things when the Director's gaze faltered for short moment, the ice melted before it regained itself again, frozen, with a singular blink, glancing towards Kagami. He inhaled deeply, before he spoke.

"Fine. But he will not  _roam_   _freely_  within my walls or get in the way of my plans. Get him somewhere else and lock him in. Don't let him out until the mating procession is completed." He sternly commanded, waving his hand The Heavy Seeds around Kagami uttered their agreement.

"And Daiki, I don't know what you're planning, but  _give it up_. This is not negotiable, you know very well what's at stake here. This is what you  _must_  understand and may have to do in the future, as my heir, when you become the next Director. I expect you will be obedient from now on. This time, I can overlook it — seeing that they are your friends, so you can't help feeling  _sentimental_  about them." He briefly glanced at Aomine, before turning his attention to the whole room.

"Now that it is settled, I am announcing that the mating date between Kuroko Tetsuya and Kise Ryouta, will be fast-forwarded to tomorrow, before noon. Today, you will have a doctor assist you, to implant the parasite I've prepared, Kuroko Tetsuya."

In a fraction of a second, Kagami felt the ground had crumbled beneath his feet.

"Tomorrow…?" Kagami blurted out in disbelief. "No. NO! You can't!"

"Yes, I  _can_. And I  _will_  make it happen." The Director cut him off coldly.

Kuroko was merely standing there, staring at Kagami with a fallen expression— Kagami felt a lump was lodged in his throat, his knees were growing weak. Kuroko —  _his_  Kuroko, was going to be mated to someone else who wasn't Kagami. Tomorrow. He was going to carry someone else's cub within him. The thought scorched a darkness and agony so deep, it drilled holes into his heart, the blood flowed endlessly from the open wounds — it hurt. So painful. Kagami didn't even want to imagine it.

The Director brought a hand up and snapped his fingers.

"Take him away."

Kagami felt he was being dragged away forcefully — he immediately resisted, struggled with all he had, he couldn't move much because of the constraints — the more he tried to resist, the tighter the hold around his neck. Still he refused to give up, he refused to be separated from Kuroko  _again_. The Tiger inside him roared angrily, furious at the thought of being away from its mate, a sentiment they both understood well. Both was enraged, and couldn't hold in the  _fury_ from leaking out of its container.

"—…fuck'…ng let… me… go!" He barked aloud, violent growl tore itself out of his pipes.

His eyes burst hot, his limbs started enlarging and the fabric of his clothes was tearing at its seams. Kagami's claws pierced into the sleeve of the suit of his captor's arm and into his flesh until he hit the solid surface of the bone, drawing blood. The leopard flinched, loosened his hold, and Kagami took advantage of it, digging his nails and dragging them down until the man screamed and blood splattered onto the white porcelain floor— lost his grip on him altogether. His neck was finally free.

" _Shit!_ " He heard the bear cursed, transforming himself, but Kagami was faster, having halfway transformed into his beastly Wereform, about to let loose.

"Idiots!  _Sedate_  him!"

Before Kagami knew it, he felt something pierce into his skin, something long and thin — he barely felt anything. He glanced to his left and realised the leopard had jammed the needle of a syringe into the junction between the base of his neck and shoulder; the glass tube container was empty. He saw the mischievous grin displayed on the leopard's face before his vision began to shake, his body was rapidly losing its vigour, knees buckling. The world around him started spinning. Everything was moving slowly. His eyes were heavy. He struggled to keep them open.

 _Kuroko… where is he?_  He sluggishly thought as he fell on his knees, eyes darting around to look for his mate.

He couldn't think straight. His movements were disoriented, clumsy. Kagami was relieved when he saw, there he was, in front of him, running towards him. His Kuroko. Kagami blinked several times and tried to keep himself awake — but it was so difficult. He tried to reach out for Kuroko, his arm was trembling too much. Shit, he couldn't keep his arm up.

"Kuro … ko…" He tried to say, his tongue was growing numb. He couldn't move his lower body anymore, as if paralysed. He was blacking out, Kagami noticed that every ounce of energy had flown away from his body. He couldn't keep himself upright. "Wh- where …?"

Someone caught his hand, his body was suddenly wrapped in familiar, comforting warmth.

"—gami-kun? Kagami-kun? Please wake up! —" He heard a voice like music called his name.

"Kuroko." He whispered softly.

He could see a blur of soft blue, hovering above him. He blinked several times, but still couldn't see his face. How frustrating. He wished he could stay awake, but his consciousness was slipping away even with the best of his effort. Everything was blurring — his mind foggy. He knew he would pass out in a few seconds. Kagami wished he could stay much, much longer with Kuroko.

"Kuro… ko… I …" _—I love you._  He wanted to say, but found himself unable to. Because everything had faded to black, his mind slipping into a forced slumber.

—

Whe he came to, Kagami woke up to a pounding head.

"Oww,  _fuck_."

The moment he got up to sit, a dull pain was hammered into his skull. He flinched when his throat felt raw and dry, the flesh around his neck ached and stung when he stroked it with his fingers. He squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his aching temples.

"Where's this?" With eyes narrowed slightly, Kagami looked around, realising he was in an unfamiliar place— a small cubical room with bare furniture and no windows. He was sitting on a single bed, right across a tall metal door, there was a large mirror outstretched along the wall to its right.

He saw a table on one side of the room, there were four bottles of 1.5 litres of mineral water and a bowl of fruits. A mini fridge stood next to the table. He spotted a small alarm clock was displayed on top of the fridge, its gears ticking softly. There was even a toilet at a corner, and a water sink. Huh. Everything was painted in white, safe for the tatami mats for the floorings. Where was he?

His body went rigid— Kagami couldn't recall having entered this particular room before. His head was still heavy, as if a thick fog occupied his mind, clouding his memory. How did he get there? His head started hurting again when he tried to recall, he felt sluggish, as if he'd been drunk and now he was suffering some sort of hangover in the aftermath. Weird. Kagami didn't usually drink—

Suddenly, the memories came back to him, abruptly. The hospital. The abductions. Kuroko and Kise's mating. Akashi and Aomine and the others. In a matter of seconds, Kagami remembered  _everything_.

" _Kuroko_." The first thing he could think of was Kuroko. He had to find him.

Kagami jumped out of the bed, practically leaping towards the door to open it— except, there was no door handle. "What? This door is weird, what the hell—" Kagami fumbled about, he had no idea how to open the damn thing. He realised it was most likely locked from the outside; also, no key hole. Was the lock mechanical? He had no fucking idea.

Kagami was growing irritated. "What the fuck!? LET ME OUT! HEY!! ANYONE THERE!? OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!!! OPEN IT!!!"

Kagami started pounding his fists onto the cold, metal surface of the steel door, desperation and panic overcoming his senses. No matter how much he rapped or how loudly he yelled, nobody replied nor came to his aid. He tried hitting his shoulders and slamming his weight against the door, but it wouldn't budge an inch. Frustrated, he rapped and yelled again.

His throat became more and more sore over time, voice growing hoarse. Eventually after twenty minutes or so, Kagami was left with a throbbing windpipe and red-hot swollen fists. He'd even lost his voice. Kagami cursed under his breath, glancing at the large mirror next to the door. He thought, there was no way it would break that easily, right? Kagami highly doubted it. The mirror was probably bullet-proof, or, it could be a completely normal mirror, and there was only a wall behind it.

Kagami went over to stand in front of the mirror, tapping it a few times with a finger. He once heard from a friend back in the States, if a mirror could be seen from the other side of the reflecting surface (a two-way mirror), he could prove it if he pressed a finger on it. If there was a gap in between the reflection and the real finger, it was a two-way mirror. Kagami tried to press an index finger against the surface. The reflection had no gap. It was an ordinary mirror.

Kagami tsk'ed.

It was useless, then. He looked around the room, looking for another way out. He saw an air ventilation located at a corner of the room, it height almost touching the ceiling. It was bolted dead tight. Kagami doubted he could fit into the opening, even if he could somehow loosen the screws and took off the lid. He was too big, and his shoulders were too damn broad for the narrow hole. If he was ten he probably could forcefully squeeze in, but he was sixteen with the height and built of a basketball player. He had a small growth spurt recently, too. There was nothing he could've done to take advantage of that.

_Shit!_

Tomorrow. He grudgingly thought. Tomorrow around noon, Kuroko and Kise were going to — fuck, he couldn't even finish the sentence in his own head. The deadline just got shorter and shorter. He could only hope for the best, hope for some sort of miracle. But he knew miracles didn't really exist. He could only wish someone else could come in and stop the mating procession from happening. Maybe Akashi, or Aomine. It didn't matter, as long as they could stop it. Meanwhile, Kagami was stuck there for the time being.

Kagami looked at the alarm clock, noticing it was already 06:07 P.M. He'd passed out for that many hours? The drug they used was pretty strong. Kagami still could feel the sluggishness in his muscles. This could ruin his physical fitness. Everything he'd worked so hard for, reduced slightly because of those assholes.

He glared at the clock. They provided it as if they were mocking him— knowing how much Kagami wanted to break out and reminding him that time wasn't on his side, anymore. Goddamn them!

"FUCK!" Kagami slammed his fist against the mirror. It cracked under the pressure of his strength, creating broken lines with a pattern akin to a spider's web, spreading across the large surface. Some of its shattered pieces crumbled and fell onto the floor, scattering around his feet.

Kagami could do nothing but  _wait_. That idea alone  _frustrated_  him to no end.

—

Three hours passed.

Kagami had drunk one full bottle of the 1.5 litre of mineral water and ate two apples from the fruit bowl for dinner. Now he was sitting on the bed with back against the wall and eyes staring at the clock in his hand. He didn't have much appetite, and he had nothing to do. The ticking of the clock and its noisy sound of the fan in the air vent were the only noises filling the empty space, and Kagami found himself listening closely to it.

Otherwise, the silence was deafening. It made him feel uncomfortable and restless. Kagami couldn't bring himself not to think of Kuroko. What he was doing, if he was fine. He hoped Kuroko wouldn't be too upset that Kagami was taken from him. Biting his lip, Kagami cursed his own uselessness. If he'd been more careful, none of this would happen. He couldn't help but to blame himself, and blamed the ones who put him in this  _prison_. Now he was being used as a fuel to blackmail his own lover. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Gradually, his head started to give him unwanted images of Kuroko and Kise in suggestive situations. They infuriated him, irrational as it was, Kagami tried to shrug it off and tried to distract himself, but he couldn't. There was nothing there that could divert his attention. And the silence… the silence did nothing but amplify his own paranoia.

And thus the dark thoughts swum into his head, filling him with a slow burning jealously.

Kagami put the clock down on the mattress. He couldn't let this continue. He had to distract himself— he could feel the beast stirring each time the dark thoughts nudged at the back of his mind. That was bad. He had never felt so isolated by himself before, left only with the company of his beastly side.

Kagami decided to do some push ups and light exercises. That was a good idea.

He stripped off his clothes, because it would be bad if the sweat soaked them, after all he didn't have any change of clothes. He was still wearing the suit, now partially ripped from the previous fiasco. Apparently they just left him there without changing him. Kagami reached for the inner pocket of the jacket just to check it, he didn't find his phone. Of course they would notice the bulge there, and of course they'd confiscate it. He sighed inwardly.

When he stripped down his trousers and let it pool on to the floor, something rolled out of its pockets. Kagami quirked an eyebrow and inspected the items; they were two tubes of smoke bombs that he'd forgotten he still had. Kagami grimaced. Better not tell anyone that he'd slacked off on the job unintentionally— he meant, the situation was growing dire at that time and all, it was somewhat justifiable. He'd properly installed the rest of the items. No biggie.

Kagami picked up the tubes and placed them on top of the table, next to the water bottles, before he went to exercise in the nude.

Six hours, five hundred crunches and four hundred pushups later, Kagami felt had sweated out enough.

He was feeling tired. He could use a good night's rest. Kagami put on his clothes after he'd washed off most of the sweat with the water from the sink, and laid down on the bed.

The only problem was — no matter how much mentally and physically exhausted he was, Kagami couldn't seem to fall asleep. He was shivering beneath the duvet, but it wasn't due to the temperature. He was missing something. He was missing the warmth of another body that never failed to lull him into a peaceful sleep, and the wonderful scent that would relax his mind to settle down for the night and let go of all the negativity, enough to fall asleep.

Kagami had grown so used to sleeping with Kuroko in his arms, he had difficulty to fall asleep without him. He missed Kuroko, so much. And he couldn't help but worry about tomorrow.

He had no choice, so he attempted to close his eyes and forced himself to sleep, but it was no use. An hour later, Kagami was still wide awake because his mind refused to settle down, his thoughts fluttered to Kuroko again and again. He saw Kuroko's face in the darkness, flashing behind his eyelids. Kagami found himself wanting to reach for him, opening his eyes to an empty bed; cold and hard and unforgiving.

Exasperated and tired, Kagami began thinking of those people— of that man who had taken Kuroko away from him, yet again. The man who was going to force his lover to sleep with and conceive another man's child. Kagami felt a deep-seated hatred growing within him and gnawing at his conscience. The fury was scorching, boiling the blood in his veins. The beast stirred and growled deep, responding to his anger and frustration. It wanted to tear apart those who'd taken away its own mate, as well. They were of the same heart, soul and body, after all.

Lacking of company, Kagami let the Tiger's thoughts seeped into his.

The beast roared joyfully and started offering him vengeful ideas, imagining blood and the torn flesh of their enemies, lying dead in the wake of their unleashed fury. It brought a sort of twisted comfort into Kagami's mind, strange and yet satisfying. He didn't mind the imagery. It made him feel like he had a control over the situation— even when he was locked in stranger's  _prison cell_.

It was a far better option, than having to think Kuroko being with someone else. Kagami couldn't help the blackened jealously from rising up into his head, it mingled and mixed with the fury and frustration; a deadlier mix than it was, previously.

Nine hours later, Kagami finally fell asleep.

But it was a slumber riddled with nightmares that forced him awake several times, sweat pricking his skin and dribbling down his face and body in the wake. He dreamt that Kuroko was taken from him again— taken somewhere Kagami couldn't reach, couldn't follow. His heart was beating loudly in his chest after he'd woken, struck with agony and a sense of deep loneliness.

He fell asleep again, later on, to another nightmare. There was a baby in the artificial womb within Kuroko's belly, in which he gave birth to — a monstrous being that wasn't Kagami's. It had black fur and horns along its spines and a pair of black, scaly wings on its back — it flashed a demonic grin at Kagami, fangs as sharp as a shark's. Its eyes glinted golden brown as they narrowed to a pair of slits, as if mocking him and taunting. Kagami woke up again, drenched in sweat, cussing under his breath.

Every time he jolted awake, Kagami would search for Kuroko, on habit. His heart sank deeper and deeper when he couldn't find him anywhere, drowning into a darkened abyss in which there was no end to it, bottomless and hollowed. The exhaustion, the frustration and the lack of sleep were starting to get into his head. It was driving him  _nuts_.

The beast comforted him, until Kagami could find a slumber without nightmares, even if it was but a few short hours of rest.

Hours later, Kagami woke up to noises of people talking.

He opened his eyes, taking in the sight of a plateful of food being pushed inside the room, via a small square opening installed at the bottom part of the door. Kagami pushed himself up with both hands, head still heavy with slumber, but forced himself to be alert and awake. He gathered his wits and sharpened his hearing. He hadn't heard another person's voice for more than half a day, and he'd like to know who and what they were doing.

" — don't let him out now. We must do it after the ceremony." A man with a slightly hight-pitched voice said.

Another unfamiliar voice emerged, carrying a deeper tone. "You mean the mating between the Arctic Fox and the Japanese Wolf? I thought that was tomorrow? Why's the kid has to be locked in before it's finished?"

"Heard it's the Arctic Fox's lover, or his brother, or something. Can't remember. Anyway, Director's said today, so we're rushing everything now. God, it's been hectic since 5 in the morning, can you believe it? Heard it's gonna be caught on tape — the mating procession I mean. I think it's something like a documentary tape for the revival of the Arctic Fox breed? I don't know. It's that kind of science stuff."

Kagami stiffened. What did he just say? Recorded on tape, Kuroko and Kise, their… mating procession? Like they were some kind of common animals? Kagami's heart started pounding, suddenly breathless. He could feel the darkness swirling into his mind, coupled with the rage and the exhaustion.

"Wait, what? Don't you think that's fucked up? They look like they're still kids! Are their parents okay with that?" The man with the deeper voice said, sounding disgusted.

The other man didn't sound like he cared too much. "Who knows. We're just following orders. Stop thinking about complicated stuff, we're just here to deliver breakfast. Anyway, I heard the procession's starting soon. Or maybe they're already doing it. The Director's sure is in a hurry."

A hateful sensation overcame his senses, Kagami got off the bed brusquely, striding towards the door and stopping before its imposing height. He wanted to break it down, wanted to crush it underfoot. His transformed claws grazed against the cold surface, tracking obsessive lines down the metallic door, over and over again, scraping up and down. Impatient, Kagami slammed his fists onto the steel so hard and loud, his entire body shook from the impact, vibrating into the depths of his marrow. The men outside of the door yelped in surprise.

"Let me out." He whispered, his voice grew so much louder the next time it left him.

" — LET ME OUT!!!! LET ME OUT!!!!!!!!!" Kagami screamed and pounded at the door. It wasn't a plea, it was a desperate cry from a man who was maddened with love and jealously, a sensation that burned him so heatedly, that Kagami felt he was losing his mind from the excruciating pain, from the agony and the loneliness. He could barely stand it.

He would gladly trade anything in his possession, if it meant he could leave this prison and have his lover in his arms, never to be separated. To be with Kuroko, always. Kagami would do _anything_.

As he was about to pound his fists onto the door again, the light in the room abruptly went out.

" — !? Hey, why is it dark? Is there malfunction with the lamps? Or, the electricity's out?" He heard yells from across the door. "… wait, that can't be, we have generators. It should be back up by now, what's going on here…?"

The momentary distraction had Kagami wondering as well. Now, he was clad in a total darkness. The silence was unnerving, until popping sounds emerged from behind him, all of a sudden, followed by strange low hisses. His nose smelled something burning — a strange mix of chemical compounds.

Kagami turned around with his feline eyes lit up his vision in the darkness, and saw the tubes of the bombs were coughing out copious amount of smoke, which was slowly filling up the room, flowing down the floor and rising upwards, some went in to the air ventilation at the corner.

Kagami was dumbfounded. He had done nothing to warrant the activation of those tubes.

His ears twitched when he heard the booming shrill noises of the alarms, loudly resounding across the empty spaces and echoing obnoxiously. He was taken aback, but before he could realise what was going on, Kagami heard strange clicks that sounded familiar, he whipped his gaze around towards the source of the noise and realised it had come from the door. Kagami blankly stared at the handleless door.

Could it be…? The clicks continued, the machinery gears were turning and changing — the power cut. He came to a belated realisation. Kagami heard that automatic locks that were constructed to unlock itself, should there be cases of power failure or accidents, like fire or earthquake, to prevent people from getting locked in and trapped within.

He realised. The door was unlocking.

The alarms and the smoke bombs; it must be Akashi and the others.

Kagami felt a sort of maddened glee at the realisation. A joy so great his mind was full of the possibilities. In his excitement, his skin pricked with a brusque sharpness, coarse fur was growing out of his pores. His bones and muscles were shifting. While the fabric of his clothes tore away as his limbs grew enlarged and elongated, bestial claws and fangs bared. The smoke gathered around him, enveloping Kagami within its blanket of murky white. He held his breath.

The gears that were slowly unlocking themselves, one by one, finally stopped after one final dull thump. The steel door quivered and swung open automatically, the smoke leaked out of the room as soon as it found wider space to crawl in. Kagami could smell the shock and anxiety beyond the cloud of smoke, from the two men who were standing outside and staring at him, wide-eyed.

Meanwhile, Kagami had been fully transformed, standing amidst the smoke, perfectly still. True to his intentions, he'd given up everything he possessed at that time, all for the sake of having his mate in his arms again. He no longer had the need for  _weakness_.

The beast inside of him laughed thunderously.

—

TBC.

—


	14. In Cold Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry, I haven't been replying to anything since recently I caught a cold after a business trip, so the update is *slightly* behind from usual sched. Anyway, I'll be offline for a bit, to recover. Since staring at the screen for too long kinda makes me dizzy. I'll reply to the comments/messages when I'm well enough. (==;) Anyway, thanks to the comments/faves/kudos/etc. as always! The support for this story has been awesome, and it makes me happy so many readers feel for the characters and their predicaments in this story! :D
> 
> P.S.: As you see, I've changed my mind and added a few more chapters, just because I really don't want to rush the pacing, too much. (yeah, I really didn't expect I'd write this much either, it just somehow happens) I just want to write this story to its full potentials and I don't want to regret anything by the end of it. I won't rush. I can't really tell at what chapter the last one would be, but it shouldn't be too far from the original goal. I've come to love writing this story too much to disrespect it with a rushed climax. Do bear with me for a little bit more, because we're almost there!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 14: In Cold Blood

—

"I don't know where they keep him."

Kuroko halted his hand, before he continued tending to Aomine's bruises; a large, bluish purple one was crudely displayed on his left cheek. A bright red cut sat on top of the swollen flesh. He lowered his gaze and checked the similar discoloured spots that laid apparent on his arms, some of which were concealed beneath his shirt. The traces of the fight marred his face most obviously, when he'd attempted to fight off the people who took Kagami away from Kuroko.

He detached the towel to dip it into a bowl of water on his lap, Aomine flinched when he re-applied the ice cold towel to reduce the swelling. He murmured an apology. The cut on his lips had stopped bleeding, at least.

"I see." Was all the reply he'd told him, stilled, before he added. "It's not your fault."

Aomine looked at him, the creases in between his eyebrows deepened. "Tetsu … "

"Aomine-kun, try not to speak so much. You'll re-open the cut again." Kuroko told him, lowering the towel.

There were only flesh wounds and bruises, no big cuts or something else worse. Nothing like what Furihata had suffered. He was grateful for that alone. He glanced down and caught the traces of blood swimming into the small body of water as he dipped the towel in, no longer completely transparent nor clear; It smelled faintly of blood and pure alcohol. He gazed at the white surface of the woollen fabric, the tips of the threads were discoloured, in shades of red fading into orange.

"K — Kurokocchi."

Kuroko turned his head to look at the blonde who sat on the couch across from where he and Aomine were sitting. His complexion was pale, eyes glancing nervously between his lap and Kuroko, stammering. His fingers were fiddling over of his knees. "Kurokocchi, I — I'm sorry … it's not that I d - didn't want to help Kagamicchi, or that I chickened out … I, I just thought if I did, things would get worse."

He held his gaze, quiet. The blonde shifted uncomfortably in his seat, Kuroko could see the dark shades beneath the honey-coloured eyes, and the transparent pink layer over the white of his eyes.

"I don't blame you." He told Kise, unbiased. "You thought right. I understand the situation wasn't favourable for any of us, it could've gotten worse should you choose not to restrain me and you would've been hurt if you've acted recklessly, Kise-kun. I'm glad you're unharmed."

Kise only stared at him, lips slightly parted, as if Kuroko had said something wholly baffling.

"Kurokocchi…?" He called out, somewhat sounding a little shaky and unsure. Kuroko looked back at him, expecting something. But Kise's mouth clamped shut few seconds later, saying nothing else.

He felt a hand grabbed a hold of his shoulder and pulled him, snapping his attention towards Aomine, now looking at him closely. The lines on his forehead hardened visibly. "Tetsu, what the hell…? Why are you so calm? Aren't you upset about what they did to Kagami?" He asked, demand tinted his tone.

"Calm?" Kuroko replied, his gaze firmly locked onto the teen as he looked at Aomine, head tilted to one side. The word rolled slowly across his tongue, it felt slightly off to him. "What makes you say so, Aomine-kun?"

Aomine had looked dumbstruck, as if words had flown from his mouth, only without a sound.

"You — I mean, you were so upset earlier. And now you — you're acting weird." He'd said, fumbling his words for reasons unknown.

"Upset, you say." Kuroko repeated the word. "Yes, I was upset, in fact. I do think the word  _upset_  no longer suffices to describe what I am feeling presently, Aomine-kun. If I'm acting unusual, maybe it is because of that." His explanation only served to further amplify the confusion on the other boy's expression.

Kise was staring at the two of them, swallowing quietly on his own. Kuroko and Aomine held their gazes on each other, the latter looked like he had something to say. Kuroko waited patiently. "Tetsu, you —"

The knock on the door brought the flow of the conversation to a halt. The door to Aomine's bedroom swung open, one of the the bodyguards who'd taken Kagami stepped in — a tall, slender man with auburn hair and cat-like grey eyes stepped into the room. The corners of Kuroko's eyes twitched slightly at the sight of his wicked grin, his gaze fell to the gauze that wrapped his left arm, a little extra something his mate had given the man before they knocked him out.

It roused a certain kind of tingling sensation from inside of him.

"Daiki-san! It's time for the Arctic Fox and the Wolf's examinations!" He sang in a lopsided tone, his grey eyes glinted as their eyes met.

Kuroko snorted derisively.

"You mean you're going to put a Parasite in me." He said, somehow finding the way they tried to gloss it over a tad ridiculous. Maybe it was the way he was saying it was strange, because Aomine looked like as if he'd seen a ghost, gaping at him.

The man had the gall to laugh. "Bingo! Well, for  _you,_ the ultra expensive  _premium_  Parasite. And the Wolf's gonna be prepped up for the mating and other procedure, you know, health exam stuff. Can't really remember the paramedic's mumbo jumbo words." He grinned.

"Oh, your boyfriend's fine, by the way. He's just having a little nap somewhere else for the time being. No need to lose your shit or anything, got it? Director's said I can use force if necessary, if you don't stay obedient. And, you don't know what we'd do to your  _precious_   _boyfriend_  if you're not acting like a good boy, do you?" He patted his chest twice as if to make a point.

Kuroko stilled, for a few short seconds.

"Of course."

He took the bowl of cold water with the hand towel floating within its body, and rose from his seat. He took it upon himself to put away the bowl onto the coffee table, before turning to his friends.

"We should go now, Kise-kun. You heard him." The blonde seemed to have regained himself back from the dazed state he was in. His eyebrows furrowed and he nodded, hesitantly. He rose from his seat, and was staring at Kuroko.

Aomine stood up with a sudden jolt, catching a hold of Kuroko's forearm as he was turning on his heel. "I'm going with you, Tetsu." He declared, in a tone that informed Kuroko he wouldn't take no for an answer. His expression had twisted with aggression, mixed with something else he couldn't quite decipher.

Kuroko blinked. "I don't mind. If the others do not mind as well."

Kise clearly wasn't opposed to having another friendly face with them.

Meanwhile, the auburn-haired man — he was a leopard, now that Kuroko recalled — only shrugged his shoulders and told them as long as Aomine didn't interfere, the Director said he was allowed to accompany Kuroko and Kise, under supervision. Aomine didn't look too pleased nor comfortable with the leopard, seeing some of the bruises he suffered were from that man. It had been difficult enough to try fighting off an adult Heavy Seed, especially one who didn't hold back despite the fact that Aomine was the Director's relative.

Kuroko understood, they had to go with what they wanted. For now.

"Kurokocchi, are you okay?" Kise whispered in a hushed tone, on their way to an unknown destination, passing through the hospital corridors. The leopard walked ahead of the three, whilst another trio of Middle Seed bodyguards followed from behind. Kuroko walked in between Kise and Aomine.

"I'm okay, Kise-kun." He replied, without looking at the blonde, eyes darting somewhere else — their surrounding. He knew where they were going, towards the West Wing.

The blonde was unconvinced. "Aominecchi's right; you're acting weird, Kurokocchi. Why are you so okay about this…? I don't get it."

" … I believe it is, in fact, the opposite. Kise-kun." He told him briefly, his gaze caught the sight of a scurrying nurse, eager to get away from the group. Kuroko silently watched as she disappeared behind a long desk.

The blonde had looked at him weirdly, clearly didn't understand what he'd meant, but didn't pursue the matter for lack of privacy.

Kuroko was grateful for the silence. He needed to concentrate, after all. Their trip was a short one. Aomine had kept to himself, occasionally glanced at Kuroko's way but said nothing, even as Kuroko and Kise were ushered into the Gynaecologist's clinic, the second time in a week for Kuroko. Aomine's expression grew grim and severe as the door closed behind Kuroko, the dread vanished beyond the off-white wooden door.

They were separated once inside, Kise was taken to another room via an adjacent door, he was clearly reluctant to leave Kuroko by himself. But in fact, he wasn't alone. The doctor was there to assist him through the clinical process. Kuroko sat on the guest chair before the doctor's desk, as he was asked a couple of health related questions, such as whether he had a genetical disease in the family line, or if he had taken a health examination recently. Kuroko answered all of the questions sufficiently enough to inform the doctor.

He was asked to step onto the weight scale, which he did. The doctor had commented that Kuroko was slightly underweight. He said he'd prescribe him vitamins and supplements to help with the weight gain.

Then, he was asked whether he'd eaten for the past six hours. Kuroko told the doctor he hadn't eaten since the breakfast that morning. The doctor had looked pleased. He told Kuroko it was better that he didn't eat anything before the Parasite insertion, because the empty bowels would allow easier access for the Parasite to get attached in an appropriate location. He was told to fast for eight hours or so, after the insertion.

The details of the process itself, was something Kuroko would rather not repeat to anyone.

The doctor had guided him gently, to take his pants off and get on the flat patient bed, and to be on his arms and knees. Kuroko did, without much of a fuss.

However, it was an increasingly  _humiliating_  experience — even with kind, understanding words the doctor guided him with, it blared cruel and crude in his earshot. He never wanted to expose himself to anyone, especially not with this kind of reason. For him to be laid bare and made vulnerable in front of someone who wasn't Kagami, but a complete stranger — Kuroko had to force himself to think of something else as he was pried open at the rims. He clenched his eyes shut, hands balled the sheets until the knuckles turned white.

He didn't find it the slightest bit pleasant. It was nauseating, rigid and cold. It was nothing sexual but he felt as if he was being  _violated_.

Kuroko despised it, with every fibre of his being.

What lasted for around five to eight minutes, had felt like an eternity. The doctor brightly informed him the Parasite had been safely implanted inside of Kuroko, then he proceeded to note the things Kuroko should avoid in the next few hours.

Kuroko wasn't listening to the explanation— too occupied with the sense of discomfort, the foreign feeling of having something alien inside of him. Unwanted. Instead, Kuroko stared absently at the glimpses of foliage beyond the windows of the clinic, the leaves swaying with the wind. He idly wondered how many days it had been since he'd been outside.

He was let go after ten minutes of extra consultation, Aomine and Kise were waiting for him outside of the clinic, worried and tense, two sets of eyebrows drawn together in similar scrunched knits. Kise came up to him first, his complexion paled at the sight of Kuroko, golden brown eyes had welled up with tears. He fussed over him and embraced Kuroko, his shoulders quivered as he whispered muted apologies. Kuroko patted his back and told Kise there was nothing to apologise for, but the blonde only shook his head and hugged him tighter, once more.

After Kise let go of him, Aomine approached him — expression as sullen and severe as he'd last seen him.

"Tetsu, you okay?" He asked, tone grim and stiff.

"Physically, it's painless, and feels uncomfortable. But it's quicker than I thought it would." Kuroko gave him short, seemingly nonchalant answers. Kise was still clinging to him, he flinched every time he voiced out a reply, holding onto his shoulder tighter with each one. "… otherwise, I am mostly alright, I suppose." He concluded.

"Kurokocchi… there's no way you're okay with it, isn't it?" Kise gripped his shoulders and withdrew to take a better look at Kuroko, a drop of tear had made its way down his cheek. "I — I can't do this. I can't do  _that_  to you, Kurokocchi, I can't f - force you. Have you seen  _how_  you  _look like_  right now? I  _can't_. How can they do this to you…? Why  _you_? It isn't fair!" His voice broke at the end, slipping to a lower tone.

How did he look like, exactly? He wondered.

Kuroko didn't say anything, merely brought his hands up to draw circles over Kise's back. "I am not the only victim here, Kise-kun. I'm fine." He looked up at Aomine and saw the latter's eyes widened. " … and I think it's too early to give up, in all honesty." He added under his breath.

Kise blinked at him, sniffling. "Kurokocchi, what did you just say…?"

Kuroko didn't reply, he noticed the leopard was walking towards them from one end of the hallway, followed by the other three bodyguards who'd escorted them previously.

"Senpai." Kise had a look of realisation as his grip over Kuroko's shoulders tightened. He stared wide-eyed at the sight of the approaching men in black suits, horrified. "They didn't do anything to - to Kasamatsu-senpai, did they…? I have to - I have to go see him. I need to know if he's alright…" The blonde's expression turned ashen, panic overcame his visage.

"Kise-kun. We don't know for sure, so don't assume the worst yet." Kuroko told him and stroke the blonde's arm, mollifyingly. "Aomine-kun, I'm worried about the others, as well. Is it possible to learn of their condition?" He asked the other teen.

Aomine chewed his lips, inhaling. "I can try. I don't think they'd do anything to them, but I'll check it out."

"Thank you, that's reassuring."

Kise bit back his sobs, wiped off his tears and snots then thanked Aomine too. Kuroko could feel that the blonde was cracking under the stress of their situation, even more so without the knowledge whether his own mate was unharmed and untouched. He understood. Kuroko couldn't stop his mind from straying to the thoughts of Kagami, as well. Where was he, or if he was hurt, he felt the inside of his chest grew colder with each fallen thought of his mate, lying weakly on the ground, somewhere.

Quietly shaking his head, the bodyguards arrived to pick them up and guide them to another destination. Kuroko held Kise's arm along the way, as he realised the latter was understandably perturbed by the sudden turn of events. This was too overwhelming for kids like them, he thought, even for Aomine. Kuroko glanced at the hard look on his face, he remembered how different Aomine was, in front of his uncle. He had acted unlike his usual self.

Such a frightening person, Kuroko thought of the Director. People seemed to scurry off at the sight of the bodyguards, he realised that everyone in this hospital feared the Director and his men.

But for Aomine, it was fear mixed with something else — something akin to affection.

Kuroko imagined how it felt to have someone close, someone he loved and admired for so many years, who'd hurt his own friends. And what resulted from such imagery, was a thing of profound sadness, disappointment and frustration, as well as a tinge of helplessness.

He decided to cut off the depressing line of thoughts in favour of a more productive bearing.

They were escorted to a different room, in another floor of the same building. The bedrooms were similar to Aomine's; with individual bed, couches, a TV set, a fridge and an attached bathroom. There was a door at one side of the room, that led to an almost identical one. They were told not to leave until tomorrow, for the procession. There were three bodyguards by each entrance of the room, a total of six bodyguards were on standby, much more than necessary for just two people who were barely of age.

He sat Kise down on the couch, whilst Aomine excused himself to go check up on the rest of them. There was nothing else to do but wait, Kuroko comforted Kise, although he could only do so much. The blonde was too anxious and agitated, afraid for his lover. Not surprising, given what he'd witnessed and how they'd treated Kagami with such brutality.

Kuroko pushed down his own growing dark thoughts, far into the dank corners of his mind.

About half an hour later, Aomine came back with Kamatsu following from behind him, stepping into the room with a wary, stiff look on his face.

Kise jumped off of the couch as soon as he saw Kasamatsu, his expression lit up and eyes sparked with relief and delight. Kuroko observed as the blonde rushed off with opened arms and proceeded to promptly embrace the older boy without warning, although Kasamatsu seemed to be used to it, patting the blonde's back and returning the gesture. Kise made incoherent noises and sobbed. They stayed that way for a short while, before he let himself be gently pushed by the older boy, to allow him a chance to speak.

"What happened? Nobody came back, I was worried." He said, gaze darting to everyone in the room. "Some time ago, we heard a commotion from outside the room. I thought something must've happened with — … wait, where is Kagami?" He noticed there were only the three of them in the room, including Aomine.

Kuroko could feel his own body growing stiff, a cold chill climbed up his spines, branching and spreading from the top of the cord. Kuroko ignored the sensation, then asked them to sit rather than standing up, for better comfort. Once everyone in attendance sat, Kuroko retold the incident to Kasamatsu, who sat with Kise across of Kuroko and Aomine.

"I see. So they got Kagami." Kasamatsu said, eyebrows drawn and the creases deepened. "There were some noises, right after he left the room to look for you guys because we thought you were late. Murasakibara was acting strange back then, as I recall. Now I know why, he must've noticed something was off. Nothing happened after that so I hoped for the best, but apparently…" He paused.

"I'm sorry, Kuroko. That's not something anyone should witness, especially not of their mate." Kasamatsu gave Kuroko a sympathetic nod.

Kuroko inhaled deeply.

"I … will be fine. Kagami-kun is strong, I'm sure he can take care of himself. I trust him." That was the only thing he could rely on, his faith to Kagami. Although his voice sounded weaker than he'd intended it to be, secretly balling his hands over his lap. "They told me they won't do anything to him as long as I remain obedient, for now I can only hope nothing else happens."

From the corner of his eyes, Kuroko could see Kise had grown uncharacteristically quiet, he was holding Kasamatsu by the shoulders closely and protectively. Something bitter and venomous grew inside of him. Was it jealously? He envied Kise, for being able to be so close to his mate while Kuroko was deprived of even the slightest chance to hear Kagami's voice. He swallowed and kicked the venom down to the pit of his stomach.

"This is a problem. We can't let them get away with their intentions. I know it hasn't happened yet, but once it does it'll change your life, Kuroko. We must prevent the mating from happening." The older boy's tone grew grim. "I don't know much about Retrogrades, but from what I know they're very fertile, even more so than average Light Seeds — Have they … attached a Parasite in you?"

Kuroko nodded briefly. "They brought me to a doctor to make sure it's … inserted properly."

"… why Kurokocchi? They didn't even think to use the Parasite on me, instead. I mean, not that I  _want_  to, but Kurokocchi's suffered so much already!" Kise interrupted, eyes glazed wet and the flesh around them puffy.

"Kise's a model and a known basketball player, to top it off, you're a Japanese Wolf Heavy Seed. Your family's lineage is held in high regards in the Society. If we make you do it, it'll backfire on us. Everybody knows you— even now we're taking a lot of risks with your abduction." Aomine answered the question for him.

"Tetsu's from a normal Primate family, even though he's an Arctic Fox he's the last one alive in Japan. He's got no significant relatives, no influence nor wealth. Compared to Kise, Tetsu's the perfect sitting duck; it won't be much of a problem as long as we keep everything quiet and under control. We'll still get backlash for your abduction, Kise. But even so, your family's displease is the only one to count as collateral damage, but they'd only fight for you, not for Tetsu."

Kuroko looked at Aomine, astonished.

"That's horrible." Kasamatsu was visibly disgusted by the revelation.

Kise's eyes flashed red for a brief second, fury overcame him. "How could they do this!? Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi … and Senpai and even Furihata-kun, too! It's too much!! They did  _nothing_  wrong to deserve this!!!"

Everyone was looking at Kuroko now, not quite directly— their gazes were brief glances that strayed from him to another thing, then to him again. Sympathy and pity mingled with anger, it lingered thickly in the air. They were angry for him, for what they did to Kuroko, even though he wasn't the only victim in this scenario.

" … That might be true. However, I truly think it's too early to give up. As Kasamatsu-san said, we must somehow prevent the mating from happening. I do not intend to carry a child. I've never even thought about it, to be honest. Because I'm a man, the idea never crossed my mind." He admitted.

Until he fell in love with Kagami, Kuroko had never even considered having children with another man. They were still highschool students, and Kuroko's morals were built on the premise of Primate's common sense. Male pregnancy was still uncommon in Japan, due to the difficulty of obtaining Parasites, this kind of situation was something he never expected to happen in the near future.

Still, a cool head and a sound mind were necessary to get everything working to the best chances they had, however slim and few — not exasperation or blatant display of anger. Even if it was difficult to keep up at this stage, when everyone was at their wit's end with minds weary under duress, they had to remain reasonably logical.

"Aomine-kun, does Akashi-kun know about our situation?" Kuroko turned to the teen who sat next to him, eager to move on to another topic of conversation.

Aomine had looked a little taken aback with the question, taking a few seconds to switch his attention.

"I, uh, I haven't told him the updates if that's what you're asking. I called him as soon as I knew that uncle was changing his plans, somewhere around ten this morning? At least he knows what's up. He was busy with other stuff. I'll call him again later. Uncle's been taking it easy with me, he didn't take my phone away. Maybe he thinks today's enough to warn me about … this." His expression changed, his jawline stiffened.

"Please, do so." Kuroko said. "We will need any help we can get, at this point. The deadline is … tomorrow before noon."

"We don't really have a lot of time, huh." Kise murmured.

"True, we do not. But, I'd like to get as much information as possible. Aomine-kun, do you know what they're planning for tomorrow?" He asked.

"I don't know. Uncle's done telling me about that, so I can't say much." Aomine surly told him. "All I know is what he'd told me before. He said he's gonna empty out one of the Operating Theatre rooms in the West Wing for Kise and Kuroko, set up the room for them and prepare the necessary stuff."

Kuroko raised an eyebrow. "What is an Operating Theatre? I don't think I've heard of it before."

Aomine paused, then swallowed. "It's where … the surgeons operate on the patients, but, it's got its name because that particular room's used for … an audience to watch the surgical process. For students and interns, usually. It's got stuff like recording devices, for educational videos or conference records."

The implication of 'recording devices' rapidly sank into his mind.

"Do they wish to … record us?" Kuroko blurted out the question before he could think it over.

Aomine didn't reply. Hard lines emerged that made him appear older than he was, averting his gaze on purpose. "…'It's for a documentary', he said. He wants to show everyone how he's discovered the supposedly extinct Arctic Fox and how he's single-handedly revived the breed, babbling about getting international awards and other shit. That's when I knew he's no longer in his right mind, anymore. Even if this is for our family, for him to treat you that way, Tetsu, I — "

He discontinued the sentence, opting silence.

Kuroko breathed in. Several deep, deep exhales and inhales, before he managed to recover enough composure to speak again, with near perfect mental clarity. "Is there anything else? How about the security details around the area?"

Aomine looked at him oddly, but resumed talking. "Plenty of bodyguards around the area, he's gonna make sure the building's surrounded with them. I'm not sure what time exactly, but I'm gonna tell Akashi to come in the morning. The staff're gonna get relocated somewhere else, I think. The West Wing's gonna be emptied out."

"I see. So, the problem is how to stall for time until Akashi-kun comes in. And then … how to make sure the others be kept safe, I'm most concerned about this. After all, if we oppose them before the time's up, they might target them and hold them hostage."

"That's a very likely possibility, actually." Kasamatsu said. "I haven't told you before, but they've posted four bodyguards in front of our door a while after Kagami left. Murasakibara was really annoyed when they told him to get out. He scared the shit out of those bastards and drove them away because he refused to leave us. He's with Furihata right now. But the bodyguards… they've stayed outside, despite the intimidation. They make Furihata nervous."

Kuroko quickly fell silent, thinking.

"Aomine-kun … I'd like to ask you for a favour." He decided, turning to Aomine. "I will try to provide a sort of distraction. When their attention's redirected, could you please take Furihata-kun and Kasamatsu-san to somewhere safe until Akashi-kun arrives? And maybe … find out where they keep Kagami-kun, as well. Please."

Everyone stared at him, curiosity and uncertainty painted their faces.

"Tetsu, what are you planning?" Aomine blurted out, taking a hold of his shoulder a little brusquely. "I'm not letting you get in danger! Why do you think I'm in this operation in the first place!?"

"We have few choices in the matter, Aomine-kun. I must admit I do not have a solid plan yet, but at this point, an improvisation is necessary. After all, I will need to complete the  _draft_  Akashi-kun has drawn for us." Kuroko patted the tube of smoke bomb in his pocket. They'd taken away their phones, but had missed that one, perhaps due to its insignificant size.

"All I want is for everyone to go home safely, that's all. It is a goal worth fighting for. I will not stay obedient and quiet. I  _will_  fight." He solemnly said, looking straight to Aomine's eyes.

The other teen gulped, a myriad of conflicting emotions crossed his face before he gave in, exasperated. "Tetsu — dammit! I got it. I'll do what I can."

"Thank you, Aomine-kun. I trust you." Kuroko smiled. "Kise-kun, I believe we'll need to talk about this. I will require your help."

Kise's expression tightened, then he nodded. "Okay. I agree, Kurokocchi. I'll fight for Senpai and everyone, too." He turned his attention to Kasamatsu. "Senpai… please, be careful. I can't stand it if you get hurt."

"I'll be fine, Kise. You too. Do your best, and be careful." Kasamatsu uttered, ruffling his hair. Kise gave him a weak smile.

Kuroko heaved a sigh. "I would like to speak to Akashi about this, but … I suppose we have to wait as we cannot afford to be careless, right now. Please inform me when you have the chance to contact him, Aomine-kun." Kuroko told him, the other teen nodded in agreement. "And I think… that's all for now. Kasamatsu-san, please be on your guard at all times. And please tell Furihata-kun and Murasakibara-kun about this, too."

"Yeah, I think that's for the best. I won't let those shit fuckers harm Furihata. You be on your guard too, Kuroko. Don't get yourself hurt." Kasamatsu said, tone firm and laced in worry.

"… and I think I've been here long enough. I have to go back. I can't let Murasakibara and Furihata wait for too long. Furihata needs to take his medicine. And Murasakibara … well, I don't know if he can take care of a sick person, properly." He pointed out, ready to rise from his seat.

Kise immediately shot him a shocked look, holding the older boy in his place by the arms. "Senpai…? You're not staying? No! Stay here! I need to keep you safe! You  _have_  to be here!" He exclaimed and pleaded.

Kasamatsu furrowed his eyebrows, looking at the blonde. "Kise, you must understand that I can't leave Furihata alone. I have responsibility to that boy." He told him.

"And I'm tired of repeating this over and over again, but I will say this one last time; I am  _not_  helpless. Being pregnant does  _not_  make me  _weak_. I can defend myself when I need to. You of all people, should've known that better than anyone else here." He reasoned sternly, but gently.

Kise looked taken aback. Speechless. "S-senpai… " Kasamatsu stared at him, a fierce glare. The blonde gulped. "I - I understand. You're right. I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you understand. I'll be fine, Kise. Still, I've overstayed my welcome. Do inform me when you need to, I still have the phone stashed somewhere hidden." The older boy told them. "I won't let them take it away, this time—"

His sentence was cut off because Kise suddenly hugged Kasamatsu, the latter made a surprised, muffled sound. Kuroko quickly got the signal and tugged at Aomine's shirt sleeve to avert their eyes. Though the latter opted to ogle at them instead, until Kuroko pulled his ear insistently like he'd seen Momoi did before, earning the teen's full cooperation — albeit unwillingly and with a few pained grunts — and forcing him to look somewhere else.

"Damn Tetsu, that hurts! What's the big deal!?" Aomine barked fiercely. Kuroko shot him a glare that shut him up right away. They stayed that way for a moment.

Kuroko took a peek at them, he noted Kasamatsu's face was flushed as he smacked the blonde for his trouble. Kise murmured something inaudible and the older boy's expression grew softer. He let go of Aomine's ear then, uttering a whispered apology. Aomine rubbed his aching ear and frowned.

" … I'm sorry you have to see  _that_ , again." Kasamatsu summarily facepalmed, shaking his head. Kuroko told him he didn't mind, while Aomine just shrugged nonchalantly.

Kise wanted to go with Kasamatsu until he returned to the room, but Aomine told him they wouldn't be able to get out even if they tried. The bodyguards outside would just force them in, again. He offered to go out with Kasamatsu instead, to make sure he returned safely.

"Aomine-kun, please wait for a second." Kuroko stopped him before they set out. "Could you please bring me something I left behind? It's important. I hide it in the safest place I know. Please ask Furihata-kun where it is."

Aomine seemed curious and obliged. Kuroko thanked him and let them go. Kise had been depressed and upset soon after Kasamatsu left, Kuroko stayed with him to comfort the blonde. He was in a better mental condition than earlier, less tense, but still much affected by the stress.

"Sorry, Kurokocchi — I just — he said he's gonna be fine, but what if … what if they'd treat him like they did to Kagamicchi? I can't help myself. I think… I think this is all my fault. If I didn't buy that Parasite, if only I wasn't so  _stupid_ , none of this would happen. I keep thinking — if Senpai didn't get pregnant, they wouldn't target him, would they? He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for  _me_. It's  _my_  fault! God, what have I done…?" Kise had confessed with a shaken voice, drowning his face into the palms of his hands.

"Kise-kun. I must say you really have done a truly  _idiotic_ ,  _hurtful_  thing to Kasamatsu-san. What you did to him with the Parasite, it's  _atrocious_  and  _stupid_. You must make it up to him, because this is not something you can withdraw at will; The deed has been done. You will be a father soon and you must bear the burden and responsibility that come with it, both for the child and the mother."

Kuroko had told him, bluntly. He didn't think there was any use to gloss over the fact that Kise really did something incredibly stupid to his lover. It wasn't just an ordinary error, this was something enormous enough to change their lives, forever. Kise was visibly shaken by his honesty, slowly revealing himself from the cover of his hands, wide brown eyes staring at Kuroko. Dumbfounded.

"… but you can't blame yourself that they've taken both you and Kasamatsu-san, because that is not true. I think they'd just come up with another way to achieve it, one way or another. This is something beyond your control — beyond any of our control." He reasoned.

"I think realising the gravity of your own actions is the first step to fixing your mistakes, Kise-kun. Do not repeat the same error, if you don't want to lose what's truly important to you. Strive to mend what's broken, that's all I can suggest." Kise fell silent, then. His eyes were still glazed, swelled and pink. A faded darkness came over his visage, when a realisation dawned on him.

Having known Kise for years, Kuroko knew how hard it would be for Kise, to change his lifestyle and way of thinking, as he'd been raised the way common Heavy Seeds was; that they were the Alphas and thus they were excused for their lack of better judgement, offered more leeway than most ordinary people especially when they were still so young and so reckless.

But this was different. Kise fell for someone who wanted nothing to do with how the elite society lived, someone serious and responsible. An opposite of Kise. Someone like Kasamatsu Yukio, who'd choose to be independent than having to depend on an Alpha. They had only spent time together for a few days, having chatted and bonded. Kuroko could tell that the way Kasamatsu thought differed vastly than theirs; that even though he loved and cared for Kise, he would not force him to take responsibility of the baby, knowing that Kise didn't want to be tied down.

Even if it would hurt Kasamatsu, and even if he'd have to raise the child alone — such was his character, to carry the burden by himself. An admirable, yet lonely conviction. It was Kise, who had to grow up and change, if he wanted to be a reliable partner for Kasamatsu. Otherwise, Kasamatsu would just walk away from his life. Kuroko simply couldn't see it any other way.

In the end, Kuroko couldn't comfort Kise properly, but the latter was less agitated after the small talk they had. The blonde mostly kept to himself, seemingly occupied with his own thoughts. Maybe what Kuroko told him had brought something else to light, something that could distract him enough from what would come tomorrow.

Kuroko wondered if this was the first time Kise really took the time to think of what he'd done, by himself, now that they were given some time alone for the premise of consequences to sink into the blonde's head.

Fifteen minutes later, Aomine came back with the item Kuroko asked of him.

"The shorty said there's no hiding place. He looked at me weird when he gave this to me." Aomine remarked, handing the small black item to Kuroko. It was a small, square-shaped remote control with a few buttons on it, the size fit the centre of his palm snugly.

Kuroko chuckled. "Furihata-kun  _is_  the safest place I know of. Think of it as an analogy, Aomine-kun."

"Yeah, whatever." Aomine said, scratching his head.

The rest of the day was spent ordinarily, Kise hadn't talked much and Aomine had to leave later on, to contact Akashi and the others outside of the facility. He promised to Kuroko he'd return as soon as possible with news, leaving Kuroko with his phone for emergency contact. Kuroko bade him farewell and thanked him politely — he didn't quite expect it when Aomine abruptly took him in his arms and held him close.

"Look, I just — I wanted to do this, just once. You can forget about this later, act like this never happened." He heard Aomine whispered next to his ear, his tone oddly muted.

Kuroko had been surprised, but returned the gesture in a friendly manner. The same way he did every time Kise hugged him. "It's alright, Aomine-kun. We are still friends. You may hug me if you wish."

Aomine withdrew, expression contorted in conflict. "Yeah, that's right… we're friends. Tetsu." He paused, and inhaled deeply. "I … I didn't give you up to Kagami, just for you to be mated to another guy. I won't accept it. I won't  _fucking_  accept that you're gonna be knocked up with some random guy's kid — no offence, Kise — I won't let it happen."

"None taken." Kise replied blandly, from across the room.

Aomine withdrew slightly until Kuroko could see him, but a shadow partially concealed his expression.

"I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me. It doesn't have to be me." He murmured, as if he was trying to convince himself instead of Kuroko. He sounded more conflicted than certain — some of the doubts seemed to be cleared when he spoke again. "I swear, I'll find Kagami. I'll do whatever it takes for you, and the others, to be free. Uncle can go fuck off, for all I care."

Kuroko was speechless. It took a moment before he could regain himself and return the sentiment, smiling to him. "Thank you, Aomine-kun. Truly."

They parted ways, then. Kuroko saw the door shut closed, turning on his heels to approach Kise and discuss about tomorrow's procession.

—

There wasn't much information they could use, so there wasn't really a plan.

Kise and Kuroko sat on the couch together in the evening to rehash what improvisation they could come up with, although there wasn't much to work with. Later on, dinner came in for Kise, but Kuroko still had to fast for the sake of the Parasite. The blonde scoffed at that and shared his food with him, instead. With many blank hours to spend on to get used to the premise of their arranged mating, both of them grew less panicked and more apathetic to the idea, neither wanted anything to do with it.

"I'm not gonna do anything to you. I swear. I don't want you to become like Senpai — me,  _ruining_  your life, too. I - I've made enough mistakes to fix. I can't handle it if I even have to do that to you, Kurokocchi. I can't do that." Kise confessed bleakly, voice hoarse and low, clasped hands hid his lips and nose.

"Kise-kun, I hope it won't come to that." Kuroko quietly said. "To be honest, I can't imagine myself being with anyone else but Kagami-kun. He is the first and only person I've ever felt this way for. I don't know if I can … physically react in similar fashion with someone else, for a lack of better words."

The blonde looked surprised, looking at him. "Not even for Aominecchi? He has feelings for you since Teikou, it's not that hard to see. You do know that, right? I thought you and him had something going on back then, you two were really tight."

Kuroko shook his head.

"No, Kise-kun. There had never been anything between me and Aomine-kun. There's a clear distinction to what I feel for Kagami-kun and what I have for Aomine-kun. I simply can't feel the same way with Aomine-kun. He's a friend whom I care for and I appreciate his fondness of me, but, it cannot be more than that." He admitted. "I don't want to lose the friendship we have, and it seems that we don't need to. Because we still want our friendship to resume."

A pause.

"Kurokocchi, you… are really strong." Kise uttered, slowly. "It's really lame, I keep breaking down and losing my shit, but you never lose your cool; Not even after Kagamicchi's taken away. You were upset, but you're handling it really well. Now that I think about it, Senpai's always been calm too, makes me wonder what you guys are made of."

"Kise-kun, honestly I don't think grief can bring Kagami-kun back to me, nor can it change our situation." Kuroko calmly told him.

"I believe I'll be able to relieve the tension after this is all over. But right now, I must persist. A cool head and a sound mind are necessary to solve our predicament, I see no benefit in panicking. And I think, Kasamatsu-san isn't as calm as you think he is. Maybe he's holding back. He's the oldest, if he loses his composure, the rest of us would inevitably follow. Perhaps, he understands that and thus he tries to set an example, for our sake."

Kise had a look on his face as if he was remembering something, but didn't say anything.

A bodyguard later on peeked in to tell them to turn in earlier, because they had to wake up in the morning for the procession. Kise refused to sleep in the other bedroom, restless, so he used the couch while Kuroko occupied the single bed. None of them could fall asleep easily, that night.

He could hear Kise tossing and turning repeatedly, the couch creaked with each movement he made. Kuroko's thoughts drifted off to Kagami as he stared at the ceilings, unable to find peace, only chaos occupied his head. A lot of worry. Fear. Anxiety. Exhaustion. Then, in the darker corners of his mind, the anger, vexation and severe resentment grew. They created a maelstrom of emotions that stirred his mind away from order. The shadows that swirled endlessly, gaining intensity as time flew by.

And then, beyond the silence and the darkness, the beast spoke to him.

It called out to its mate, crying in anguish and growling angrily. The agony of the separation ate at him, merciless. Kuroko knew it was attempting to claw its way out of its nest, cunningly persuading him to let it out and demanding to be reunited with the Tiger they both loved so dearly. Kuroko refused and told it to back down, to wait until it was the right time, even if what they wanted was one and the same.

He knew that, the beast and him — they both wanted to be with Kagami, to have him close and share the warmth as their skins touched, and to hear his voice telling words as sweet as honey, and as heated as blazing fire. The desires that went unfulfilled, were replaced with frustration and grudge, for those who'd taken away their mate. It was infuriating.

A drop of tear dripped from the corner of his eye, down across the bridge of his nose and falling to the pillow. Another drop fell, then another. The white sheet absorbed them, leaving damp blots over its surface. He didn't make a slightest sound.

Kuroko closed his eyes and whispered softly, as if in a prayer, hoping it would thaw the ice that was spreading out from within the core of his heart, cold and dark and bitter.

"Good night, Taiga-kun."

With each breath he took, he murmured his name until his mind was so full of Kagami, that Kuroko could finally find slumber, no matter how crooked and artificial it was.

—

They were woken up early in the morning by the bodyguards — Kuroko took a look at the clock and realised it was a little over 6 A.M.

He was still heavy-lidded and lethargic, pushing himself up from the mattress to sit and blinking away the sleepiness. Two bodyguards were standing by the either side of the exit, impassively announcing that the procession would start at 09:30 A.M. sharp, and they were expected to be prepared by then. The announcement brought him an instant, rude awakening, his mind was still slow to process it immediately. Kise was still waking up on the couch, grunting and tossing about, complaining about the bright light.

The bodyguards told Kuroko to take a bath and for Kise to wake up, though it had sounded more like a command than that of suggestion. Kuroko narrowed his eyes as he glared at the bodyguard, the blonde was displeased as well, barking at them and intimating them into leaving the room. They were making both of them uncomfortable with their presence.

"Really, those  _assholes_. Can't they just leave us alone? They really piss me off." Kise had cursed, voice hoarse and sluggish. The usually polite blonde was irritated, finally woken up due to the bodyguards' rude announcements.

"Kurokocchi, you okay?" He asked, looking worried. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I think I slept rather well, surprisingly." Kuroko said. "How about you, Kise-kun?"

"Not so good. I had nightmares and got too anxious. I'd rather not talk about it. It's great that at least one of us got a good rest. You need it, Kurokocchi." Kise admitted, traces of dark shades were apparent under his eyes. Then he yawned widely, stretching his limbs.

Kise went to the other room to take a shower, while Kuroko used the one in the room they stayed in. The water was warm and pleasant, but it didn't help with the growing feeling of discomfort with the anticipation of what would come in a matter of hours. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw the marks had faded from his skin. He rubbed his neck where the previous ones supposed to be, struck with the inexplicable desire to see Kagami's marks on him. Bites and bruises and nail scores, that showed everyone else that he was Kagami's, and Kagami was his.

Now the pale skin was too flawless, lacking the evidence of their passion as if reminding him of the unpleasantness of his situation. He didn't want it to be so  _empty_.

Kuroko looked at the shirt he was wearing, hung on the door of the bathroom. He picked it and breathed into the fabric, deeply. He could still smell traces of Kagami's scent on it. It relaxed him, and made him feel better. He decided to wear the shirt again for the comfort it brought him, even if it was just a small, insignificant thing.

He went out to find Kise was already waiting for him by the couch, glaring and growling quietly at the direction of the door. Kuroko followed his line of sight to see the leopard had been waiting for them by the entrance, two bodyguards stood at either side of him, fidgeting and looking restless. Kise was exuding a massive hostile energy, but the Leopard seemed unaffected.

"Well, kids. I'm here to escort you to the preparation room, I'll be your guide today." The leopard declared, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture.

Kuroko eyed at his bandaged arm that was raised lower than the other one, it smelled of blood and medicine, he noticed. The scent was still thick, coming from the wound. Kagami supposedly had clawed at it deep enough to tear the flesh and drew out quite an amount of blood. He was surprised that the leopard didn't seem too bothered about it, perhaps the wound wasn't that bad?

Kise stood up and walked over to shield Kuroko from the man, still glaring at them and giving out the thick, resentful aura. The leopard only chuckled at his effort at intimidation.

"What are you waiting for? Come on, follow me. We don't want to act like bad boys, do we? Only good boys get  _rewards_. Don't you know that?"

By the tone of his voice, he was clearly underestimating them because they were teenagers. It served to annoy Kise further, but for Kuroko, he thought of it differently. That was a loophole he could take advantage of if it came down to it; the arrogance of a professional Heavy Seed bodyguard. It reminded him of the Weresnake who had almost assaulted him, some time ago.

Kuroko placed a hand over Kise and told him they should do what they told them, and the blonde backed down, slightly unwilling. He was sticking to Kuroko as they were approaching the exit. Kise barked at the leopard when the latter attempted to get too close to Kuroko, brusquely slapping his hand away.

" _Don't touch him._ " The blonde snarled angrily, his nails started sharpening at the tips. He wedged himself between Kuroko and the leopard, growling viciously at him.

The leopard withdrew his hand and placed it over his chest, smirking. "Fine, fine. At least you two get along well, so  _fucking_  won't be too awkward later, yeah?"

Kise's face turned red with anger at the mockery, Kuroko had to calm him down because he was getting too agitated by the other Alpha's provocation. So this was what Kagami meant by "sometimes, when two Alphas meet, they fight for dominance." He knew that several hundreds of years ago the Werepeople used to be much more violent, which eventually drove them to the threats of extinction. But there was no need to resort to that sort of barbaric method  _now_. They needed to stay composed and bide their time.

The lack of sufficient information, however, drove Kuroko's mind into full concentration. As they were escorted to another destination, the gears in his head started turning and ticking since the first step he'd taken outside of the bedroom, his eyes were locked onto the leopard in front of them, observing and learning him. From the scent of blood from the wound of his arm, to the amorous gestures he made when they passed by a beautiful female hospital staff. He was quite an expressive person, actually, it wasn't that hard to read the superficial side of him.

Kuroko did notice something else as they were strolling along the hallway, it that had been in his mind for a while. He couldn't quite put it into context yet, so he couldn't be sure.

The leopard stopped at some point, in front of a white door.

"Alright, here we go. You two have to wait here and prepare yourself until you're called, okay? I'm gonna suggest the Arctic Fox to use something to  _loosen up_ , he looks like he needs that kind of prep." He grinned suggestively at Kuroko.

" _Shut the hell up!_ Don't talk to him like that!" Kise snapped at him, he was getting more and more irritated.

"Easy now, we don't want to get  _too_  violent, do we?" The leopard kept his infuriating grin despite Kise's escalating ire, even as the rest of the bodyguards that gathered close to him, showed signs of nervousness. Kuroko saw the other Heavy Seed sidestepped to show them the door, his healthy hand went into the inner of his suit.

And that was when Kuroko saw  _it_ , a brief glimpse of something that looked like a brown leather wallet; but too slim in thickness and a little too long in length to fit to the usual template of a common male purse. It looked more like a leather wrap, he realised, lacking of the double fold of a wallet. And there was a strange fragrance that wafted from it. Only apparent for a mere second, before the wind carried it and drifted off somewhere else.

He glanced at the leopard as they passed him, the man grinned at him, but there was something off — the temperature was fairly cool because they were outside in the open space of the air-conditioned hospital corridor, but the man was sweating; droplets of transparent liquid trickled down the nape of his neck, smelling of something vaguely odd.

As the door closed behind them, Kuroko had come to a conclusion.

"He's bluffing." He murmured to himself. The sentence was too hushed for the other boy to hear him.

The blonde turned on his heels, looking at him with a questioning look. "Huh? What did you just say, Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko didn't immediately reply, his gaze scanning their surroundings. It was another VVIP patient room, the design was very similar to the one he stayed in with Furihata. He slid a finger over the table, and found a thin layer of dust there. Then Kuroko grabbed Kise's arm and dragged him further into the room, until they were standing by the windows.

"He's bluffing, that Heavy Seed leopard. I think he's been taking painkillers to conceal the fact that the wound Kagami-kun gave him was a deep one. And it's still affecting him, even if it's a subconscious physical reaction. He's breaking in cold sweat." Kuroko whispered near Kise's ear, holding him in a bent position.

"And I noticed something else — each time he provokes you or Aomine-kun, he's been touching his chest often — or more precisely, something inside the inner pocket of the suit. It's giving him a sense of comfort, or superiority, like it won't matter even if you attack him, or that he's injured, he's confident he could still win the fight. He has some sort of assurance to make sure he won't be the losing party." He explained, gaze warily locked on to the door.

"I think that's where he's keeping the tranquilliser, similar to the one he'd given Kagami-kun, the last time. He must have a few of them, because I saw a glimpse of a leather wrap from inside of his suit, peeking out of the pocket. It's too thin to be a wallet. It must be where he keeps the syringes. Most likely, the other bodyguards are given the same equipment, to put us under control should things get awry, as a precaution. It makes sense."

He looked up and saw the blonde's eyes grew wider, gleaming in enlightenment. "Kise-kun, keep this information mind. It might come in handy later."

He let him go then, Kise straightened his back, still staring at Kuroko in amazement. "Whoa, Kurokocchi, when did you come up with all of  _that_?"

"I merely observed them, Kise-kun. People have certain habits that could give us a chance to learn of them more than words could. It's something subconscious and involuntary, most of the time. But, it's enough to predict their actions with that kind of understanding, once you've watched them closely enough."

Observation was a core element to his own misdirection, as well as to form strategies in court. Kuroko didn't think he would use it in this way, but it was beneficial to learn of these points under the circumstances; there were always holes and weaknesses in each individual that he could pick out and take advantage of, should the situation warrant the measures. They were already put into too many disadvantageous situations, that he'd take anything offered in front of him.

Although, he still couldn't form a solid plan with only this much information and materials. So far he had an extra tube of smoke bomb, the remote control to set it off, the leopard's weakness and the potential usage of the tranquillisers, and there was Aomine's phone he was carrying in his pocket.

Kuroko needed something else. But couldn't get his head around it, the final element to complete the draft. He was still missing it.

"We should wait until Aomine-kun arrives. He told me he'd come visit us before the hour, with news and updates. Until then, I need to think." Kuroko declared then walked towards the round dining table. He pulled out a seat and sat down, arms folded over the wooden surface. Kise followed him and sat across from him.

Meanwhile, Kuroko began to run scenarios in his head, predicting the possibilities and chances.

True to his promise, Aomine barged into the room when the clock showed 08:50 A.M., a little later than he'd expected.

"I got caught in — morning traffic. Shit. Hold on — let me catch my — " Aomine was gasping for breath, his voice sounded hoarse and nasal. Kuroko offered him to sit down first, pulling one of the chairs for him. Aomine flopped onto the seat, his breathing was still ragged and irregular. It looked like he ran all the way there, in a hurry. They waited until he settled down.

"The procession is in less than an hour, at 09:30 A.M. They informed us just this morning." Kuroko began the conversation. They had barely any time left, it was better to get right into the topic.

Aomine sharply looked up, eyes widened and eyebrows furrowed awfully deep. "What?" He uttered in disbelief. "That's way too soon! It's already — you can't be  _serious_."

He nodded. "That's what we thought, as well. It looks like the Director is making haste, we don't know the reason, but I suppose it doesn't matter now. We need to act quickly, so Aomine-kun, could you please relay the updates right away?"

"That's… not good." Aomine chewed his lip. "I didn't get to meet Akashi when I went to Satsuki and Midorima's place. I got into a phone conference with him, things were really hectic there. Anyway, he told me to tell you a couple of things… uh … what's that again? Oh, right. Satsuki wrote down the talk we had in case I forgot." He took out a cellphone from his varsity jacket, flipped it open and started reading from it.

" 'Kuroko, I apologise that I couldn't be in your aid. I'm still working on something very crucial for this operation, however, we will come for you and the rest in due time. Although I can't say if we could make it at the precise hour. You'd need to stall for time until our arrival, unfortunately.' " Aomine began reading out loud.

" 'I've instructed Aomine with what I think may be able to help you. There will be a signal; and when it comes, it will be impossible to miss. Do note this. Also, I have an advice for you, Kuroko; Visibility, or lack thereof, is your best weapon. Use it to your advantage. For Kise; Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement and follow Kuroko's lead, you're the best at teamwork. One last thing. Kuroko, you're always able to exceed my expectations. I believe you can handle things on your own. I will come as soon as I can.' That's all he has to say to you guys."

Aomine concluded, he put away his phone and shoved it down his jeans' pocket.

Kuroko took his time absorbing Akashi's message. "A signal? What kind of signal?"

"He said not to say it out loud, in case someone's listening in." Aomine said in a hushed tone. "You'll know when the time's up. Like Akashi said, there's no way you'd miss it."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then, I suppose I have to trust Akashi-kun on this." Kise and Kuroko exchanged looks. "Kise-kun, when the time comes, please follow my lead."

"Got it, Kurokocchi." The blonde nodded.

"Aomine-kun, as we've spoken before, when the bodyguards are distracted, please take Furihata-kun and Kasamatsu-san to somewhere safe. I will do my best not to get caught, until Akashi-kun arrives." Kuroko told Aomine. The latter stared at him, oddly silent.

"Tetsu, you're so … calm. I mean, I know you're always like that, but it's weird that you can hold yourself that well in a situation like this. In an hour or something, you're gonna throw yourself into — how the hell can you be unaffected by that?" Aomine commented.

"See, Kurokocchi? It's not only me who thinks it's weird." Kise shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head.

Kuroko sighed. "I don't see why I should panic, as it resolves nothing. Besides, being  _calm_  does not mean I am unaffected or unemotional by the turn of events, Aomine-kun. It's precisely because I am … feeling  _too_  many things  _at once_ , that order is necessary to gather my wits. This way, things seem clearer to me, in order to solve our problems. It's not that I'm not upset that they're doing their best to force their idealism on me at the cost of other people's anguish, or that Kagami-kun's taken away from me."

He paused.

"That's right, until recently, I have never felt so … furious before, in my life."

The other two inexplicably went silent.

Kuroko heaved a sigh and absently stared at the door, his mind drifted to the thoughts of Kagami.

The beast inside of him stirred, outstretching its claws and baring its fangs in response to the growing darkness in the pit of his stomach that was slowly rising up. Like a venom that infiltrated his veins, mixing with the blood and spreading the hatred to reach every crevice and every cell of his being. He wondered whether in due time, he would be completely consumed by this bitter and cold  _thing_  within him that he had no idea how to stop.

Such a tempting offer.

"Aomine-kun, have you found out where Kagami-kun is?" He asked, without looking at the other teen. He could see him shifting uncomfortably, from the corner of his vision.

"I don't know where, exactly, but it looks like he's kept somewhere in the Centre Wing's basement. There's a solitary cell there, just in case if there's a troublesome patient. The lock there's automatic, so I gotta find a way to unlock it. Though, it shouldn't be a problem later." He said, scratching his head.

Kuroko turned to give him a smile. "Thank you, Aomine-kun. I think that's enough, for now."

The draft had yet to be completed, Kuroko had a feeling it would complete itself as soon as he learned of the  _signal_  Akashi mentioned. Something akin to intuition, told him so.

The time was ticking away, at 09:15 A.M., the leopard returned to the room to fetch them, told them it was time for their mating arrangement. Both Aomine and Kise growled at the leopard, who only grinned triumphantly at them, once again he patted his chest, as Kuroko observed — there was a slight bulge under his palm, vaguely square-shaped. He stayed quiet and tugged Kise to come with him, turning on his full attention and focus.

The same leader and the same group of bodyguards were assigned to escort him. Kuroko hadn't seen the other Heavy Seed — the tall bear — around, he wondered why they'd assign an injured bodyguard to them? He noticed there were more bodyguards inside of the building, as they walked further towards their destination, more so than what he'd seen for many days before. He understood then, they were being careful enough, if quality didn't suffice, they replaced it with quantity. It would be hard to get past them, with so many patrolling the corridors.

Quietly, he gazed at the man in front of him. He saw the beads of sweat had created a thin film over the nape of his neck, and the distinctive scent that came out of him — a familiar scent, because he'd spent so many days with Furihata, he knew that smell well; Consumption of painkillers that would mix someone's natural scent with the unnatural element of medication.

Kuroko noticed, with transformed eyes, even though he'd never learned anything about human anatomy, by raw instincts he knew which of the body parts of another human being that could be fatal if handled wrongly. It was as if spotlights specifically highlighted the parts, in his bestial vision. The neck was the most obvious, the most vulnerable and brittle; one rip of the jugular veins with either the claws or fangs, and the prey would bleed to death if not immediately tended to. There was also a quick way to simply snap the neck, effectively cutting off the survival chance to almost none.

The next best things would be the stomach and the flesh of the thighs, the stomach held internal organs unprotected by the bones, while the thighs, there were many, many threads of blood veins strung beneath the succulent fat and muscles. He didn't need to learn from books, he simply  _knew_. Where to trace his claws, to bite, to rip out and tear.

No wonder the Werepeople used to be a violent, barbaric bunch; it was so easy for them to see how vulnerable humans really were; bags of blood and flesh and bones, tore one part and they'd bleed to death or due to shock, came apart with one swift move.

Kuroko shook his head quietly — no, that wasn't what he wanted to do, murder was a crime punishable by the law. They were not living in the past, this was the modern world. He only needed to know the body parts in which he could add enough pressure, to knock them out momentarily.

More bodyguards in the corridors, until they reached far into the Surgical Department, somewhere Kuroko had never gotten the chance to roam into due to the lack of a key card. They were shown to the front of a double-leaf door painted in light greyish blue.

"It's still pretty early, but you can start soon if you want. The Director's gonna visit soon. There's no restrictions, so have fun kids!" The leopard sang in that disturbingly odd tone again.

Kise glared at him while Kuroko inspected the surroundings. There were five bodyguards on standby along the hallway outside of the Operating Room, three more he suspected would be waiting for them by the entrance with the Heavy Seed leopard. They were clearly outnumbered.

He really wondered if he could pull it off, but there really weren't many choices. He had to make sure to react quickly, and make swift decisions on the spot. Kuroko had to choose the right moment to do this.

As they were ushered in, before he closed the door the leopard left them with a final warning. "Remember, we'll be watching. So don't try anything  _stupid_ , got it?"

They waited until the door closed shut and locked from the outside. Kise turned to Kuroko, looking anxious and whispering softly, "Now, what do we do?"

Kuroko chewed the inside of his mouth. "Now, I suppose… we have to pretend. I think they're watching us, from somewhere." He glanced up at the ceilings and found cameras at all of the four corners of the room, pointing at the direction of a tilted hospital bed at the centre.

Kise gulped. "Like … making out? God, Kagamicchi's going to  _kill_  me if he finds out. And — and Senpai'll be  _so_  mad." He shuddered, face turning pale.

"Well, I'd like it if you don't try to kiss me at least, Kise-kun. We'll just, um, be close to each other in the mean time?" Kuroko suggested, feeling awkward.

It wasn't that Kise was unattractive, no, he would be regarded as  _very_  attractive by both guys and girls, but Kuroko really didn't feel drawn to the blonde's charms. Besides, compared to Kagami, things like his hair or his skin tone or his built and height … they were all wrong. Kagami was much more — he had to stop that line of thought, because it seemed rude to think Kise was inferior to Kagami. Kuroko was clearly biased.

"I really don't want to do this. I can't force someone unwilling to — I just — It's  _wrong_. I can't do it." Kise ran a hand up his hair nervously, eyes darting around, unfocused.

"The leopard said the Director's going to come, soon. To witness the mating." Kuroko quietly said, thinking.

The Heavy Seed bear who had been missing since Kagami's taken, could it be that both of the Heavy Seeds were actually the Director's personal bodyguards? That he'd been by the Director's side all this time? Then, if the Director, who was also a Heavy Seed, came into the scene … they'd have less chances to escape.

A chill ran up his spines. Not good. They had to find a way to create the distraction,  _now_. Just as he was thinking of how to make escape possible, the light went out.

Kuroko blinked, had not quite expected the darkness that abruptly enveloped them. There was a commotion outside, as well, people spoke and whispered in confusion as to why the lights suddenly turned off. The air-conditioner stopped working too, a power cut?

"Huh? The light went out." He could hear Kise said, from in front of him, clad in shadow. It was really dark in there, there was little light coming from the outside of the room. The Operating Theatre was within an enclosed inner part of the West building, there wasn't any window in the corridor outside or inside the room, thus there was barely any lighting coming in and the visibility was low.

Wait, visibility? Kuroko paused. Akashi mentioned something about visibility, or lack thereof, was his best weapon. Kuroko abruptly came a realisation; this was the signal. The power cut was intentional. Quietly, he shoved his hand into his jeans' pocket, fishing out the tube and its remote control. The two small items laid on his palm.

"… Kise-kun, please get ready now. I have a plan." He told the blonde, his eyes were slowly getting used to the darkness. Heat pricked at the back of his eyes, his bestial vision could see clearer now, so did his mind, of the steps required to make it work. The draft was completed.

Kise seemed slightly nervous, but obliged. Quietly, Kuroko guided them to the either side of the entrance, pressing themselves against the wall closely. "When they come in, take them out, one by one." Kuroko mouthed slowly to the blonde, who nodded. He clenched his jaw, then threw the tube to the centre of the room, as it rolled towards the base of the bed and hit the metallic pole, Kuroko pressed the switch.

Immediately, the lid of the tube burst and it started producing a vast amount of white smoke. Without a working air-conditioning or ventilation, and with the narrowness of the room, the smoke crawled across the floor in rapid successions, slowly rising up and filling the space with a thick layer of ominous fog. It continued thickening, as seconds passed. Kuroko and Kise held their breaths and covered half of their faces with the collar of their shirts, waiting.

The commotion outside escalated when the fire alarms suddenly went off and rang deafeningly throughout the hospital, all at once. Panic was arising when someone shouted fire; they could hear rushed footsteps and yells, loud then they grew distant. Eventually, someone declared they were going to check the room for them because it was too quiet.

They waited with bated breaths as the door was unlocked, the smoke turned its route and was drawn towards the direction of the newly open space and the sudden gust of wind, as the door swung open, enveloping the person in white cloud.

"Wh-what is this!? Smoke?" The person exclaimed in confusion, breaking into a fit of coughs.

Kuroko noticed it was dark outside, then he whistled to Kise. The blonde grabbed the person by his ankles, then pulled him until he hit the ground brusquely. While he was in a dazed state, Kise pulled him in, pressed his palm over his mouth and hit the back of his neck. The person — he was a Middle Seed bodyguard — was knocked out cold, limp on the floor. The commotion outside was too loud for the others to notice anything significant, for now.

Kuroko was sure more would come to look for them. They had to take down a few more before they could slip outside.

"Check his suit, see if he's carrying anything." Kuroko told Kise, throwing away the used remote control. Now they only needed to resume the improvisation.

Kise's hand patted the bodyguard's chest, his hand went into the inner of his suit when he found a bump. He pulled out a leather wrap the length of a wallet and turned it in his hold. "Kurokocchi, I found it. You were right, they're carrying this around. Here." He tossed it at Kuroko, the latter caught it safely in his hand.

Kuroko eyed the brown wrap, the leather surface was stiff and smooth. One hand still covered his nose with his shirt, so he used the other to open the button at the wrap's front. He released his shirt to draw out one of the syringes, then held it up to a source of light inspect the transparent liquid inside the small glass container, its needle was covered with a long plastic cap.

"Hey! Why aren't there anyone here!? Incompetent idiots! Where's the Arctic Fox and the Wolf!?"

Kuroko's ears perked at the familiar voice, he glanced at entrance. The smoke was still thick despite having some of it escaped the enclosed room, via the gap of the door. Kuroko quietly nudged it until it clicked shut rather loudly, earning a questioning look from Kise. He mouthed something to the blonde to get himself ready, the latter nodded and obliged, laying low in the wait behind the cover of smoke and shadow.

Kuroko closed the leather wrap and put it into his jeans' pocket, a hand was still holding the syringe with a full dose of the transparent liquid, releasing the needle from its cap.

The  _prey_  took the bait.

" — ? Who's there? Is there anyone inside?"

The footsteps were close but cautious. Kuroko held his breath and dismissed his presence — Kise, as well, he was more effective with the help of the darkness, his presence weakened and hidden. The smoke thickened with the lack of open space, the tube still provided them with sufficient cover. They waited, until the man's shadow peeked from the tiny gap of the door, and widened it. The smoke was eager to leave the room and flew off towards the man's face, catching him in ambush and obscuring his vision.

Kise repeated the motion — already partly transformed into his wereform — and pulled his legs, with more force than previously. The man yelped loudly, hitting the floor square on his face and possibly breaking his nose — there was a cracking noise somewhere. Kuroko stepped forward and closed the door. The man was still disoriented with the pain and shock.

Kuroko intentionally stepped onto the man's bandaged left arm that was lying on the floor, putting his weight on it. The man jolted alert, screaming with a shrill tone. His screams were drowned in the blaring noises of the fire alarms outside. Kuroko looked down at him and tilted his head, the syringe in one hand with its needle pointed upwards. Kise had put his entire weight on top of the man's back, forcefully holding him down. He was still screaming and crying out, loudly.

The omnipresent grin was nowhere to be found; the leopard's face was twisted in pure agony, beads of cold sweat dripping down his face. The beast inside of Kuroko squealed at the sight, pleased. A twisted sense of gratification, arisen from within his chest. An odd, icy sensation.

Kuroko bent down, brushed away the sweaty strands of hair from his neck and jabbed the syringe into the tender flesh with a singular brusque motion, not bothering to be gentle about it. The leopard gasped, stung by the sharpness of the needle — he couldn't make much more noises, because Kuroko pushed the liquid sedative into his system, smoothly. The leopard's whole body jerked a few times, before he ceased any movement and quietened a few seconds later.

Kuroko pulled out the syringe and disposed of it, throwing it to the floor next to the leopard.

"You can let go now. He's not a threat to us, anymore." Kuroko calmly said, as he rose up and straightened his knees.

Kise released the unconscious man, turning back into a human form. Kuroko turned the door handle and peeked outside of the door; there weren't anyone there currently, but the bodyguards were probably still around, scattered in the area. He turned to inform his partner, only to see Kise was staring at him, wide-eyed and agape.

"Kurokocchi.  _Wow_. You just — you just  _jabbed_  in that needle, like …  _ouch_. And then, he's out." Kise pointed out, dumbly. "I mean, you're usually so passive and quiet. I'm shocked."

"Kise-kun, you just knocked out two men in a row and I'm the  _shocking_  one? You broke his nose." Kuroko deadpanned.

Kise pouted. "You  _stepped_  on his injured arm. I'm — I'm  _baffled_. Who are you and what have you done to our sweet,  _innocent_  Kurokocchi?"

"Ah yes. I suppose I did that on purpose, indeed." Kuroko nodded, agreeing with Kise. "It is nothing, really. I think … I simply ran out of sympathy when they took Kagami-kun from me. I just thought that he  _deserved_  it. These anger issues might become a problem in the future, I'm a little concerned."

For some reasons, Kise visibly gulped. "Remind me to never make you angry, Kurokocchi."

"Well, you always annoy me … "

"Eh!? Why!?"

"… Kise-kun, you do realise this is not the time for small talk. We have to go now, we need to … create more distraction, until Akashi-kun arrives." Kuroko said, the area looked clear. They could make a run for it.

Kuroko hoped this was enough to buy time for Aomine to take the rest of them to safety, and Kagami … no, Kuroko had to put his faith in him. Kagami was strong, stronger than anyone he knew. He could take care of himself. Kuroko believed in him. He had an important task to do, now.

"Let's go, Kise-kun." They exchanged looks, both nodding. "I think the worst part in this will begin, shortly."

—

TBC.

—


	15. A Feast of Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Late update due to my cold and my inability to stay down like a normal sick person, thus I did stuff that made it worse. *wry, sheepish laugh* That, and inspiration's been kinda slow.
> 
> Okay, so umm. *scratches cheek* I have an announcement. I'm going on a long trip starting early February, so in the mean time, BC, or any ongoing story I have won't be updated until I get back from the trip (for about 2 - 3 weeks of break from writing, etc).
> 
> Warning: Various depictions of violence in this chapter, you may skip it if that sort of thing bothers you. (also may include some mixed martial arts moves — total disclaimer there!)

  
—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 15: A Feast of Chaos

—

" _Where is he!? Where's Kuroko!?_ "

Enlarged pupils stared back at him, stunned and afraid.

The scent of fresh blood was thick, dripping down from a wound on the man's head, the aroma dispersed each time Kagami gave him a shake, drops of dark red splattered over the floor and some onto Kagami's own face. The man gagged, the grip around the collar of his torn, stained shirt was depriving the air out of him. His hands reached and fumbled to remove the vice-like grip around his neck. His feet were dangling, detained in mid-air as he kicked around in a futile attempt to get away from the beast in front of him.

Kagami was running out of patience. The roar that rang from in his head demanded him to finish the job — Kagami shushed the beast, for despite his beastly appearance, a large portion of his humanity was still intact.

His fevered gaze glared at the man, baring his fangs and snarling viciously. He proceeded to shove him against the wall, the body hit the surface with a booming thump — the noise was drowned in the blares of the alarms one floor above them. He cried out and coughed out a few drops of blood. Struggling in vain, partially transformed hands still attempted to remove the clutch along his neck.

But Kagami could smell the fear had grown so much thicker than before, pouring out of the man. The smell of fear, anxiety and blood mingled together — he reeked so much of it, Kagami's head was dizzy with the sensory input. He adamantly refused the temptation to dig his claws into the man's throat; a killing instinct that roused into his head, insistently persuading him from the back of his mind.

Kagami knew he shouldn't keep up the transformation for too long, he needed to get what he could get as soon as possible.

"I SAID, WHERE. IS. HE!?" He demanded louder, fiercer, grinding the man against the hard surface of the wall, higher. "WHERE DID THEY TAKE KUROKO!?"

The man's eyes snapped open, tears began welling up in the back of his eyes as he stared at Kagami with genuine horror. The man whimpered nasally and he broke into tears. His pale lips trembled, voice muffled from the tightened hold, his answer came out in short, broken words.

"The … Arc… tic … Fox…. is …." He choked and sniffled, complexion slowly turned into purplish red, from the lack of air in his lungs. "… W - west… wi….ng."

When he'd gotten his answer, Kagami released the man.

The body collapsed onto the floor, reduced to a violent fit of coughs and ragged whimpers. He drunk in large gulps of air and sobbed. Kagami looked down at him pityingly, he crouched down, then grabbed a fistful of the man's hair to make him  _look_. The man shut his eyes and gave in much quicker than before, having fully returned to his human form and ran out of the will to fight.

Kagami leaned forward until he was close, until the man could feel the breaths of the tiger's brushing against his face.

"Never call him  _that_  again." He roared out loud, eyes gleaming in bloodlust. The man jerked and squeezed his eyes tighter, spit flew to his face, mixing with the blood and tiny raw wounds on his nose and cheek. "He has a fucking  _name_."

He chucked the man to the side until he fell towards the floor on his stomach. He squeaked and attempted to crawl away, only for Kagami to hover above him, encircled his arm along the neck and choked him until he passed out. He fell limp, unconscious. When Kagami released the body, his form started shrinking, disappearing under the partially torn clothes and transforming into the form of a medium-sized dog.

He'd had run out of the strength to keep up his human form, it seemed like.

Kagami got up and started walking away, another unconscious body was laid against the wall near the stairway that led upstairs, having been thrown by him and hit the back of his head. He glanced at him and heard him breathing, still alive and yet weakened.

The Tiger roared within him. A sense of glee touched the inner of his psyche, spreading out from within.

Kagami had no need to kill, only to get back what was taken from him. His beloved mate. He switched posture to bend his knees and curled his back, on all fours, shifting forms yet again. The Wereform wasted too much energy, something else was better to preserve the strength he had, for later use — a Tiger's animal form.

Kagami could hear his bones and joints shifted beneath layers of flesh and skin. The tendons stretched and shrunk to accommodate different sets of limbs, muscles re-arranged themselves — providing a structure better suited for mobility and stealth, yet still devilishly capable of shredding his enemies should the need arise. He hadn't been in animal form in a long while, it had felt rather foreign, but lighter compared to that of a Wereform.

This was a new truest appearance; the animal form in which they were born as and would someday die in. Kagami was in his most natural state of being. This place was no forest, but to him, it was a foreign territory to roam and claim.

"Kuroko, I'm coming to you." What came out of his mouth was animalistic deep growls, lacking of coherent human speech, but the rationality remained. His hind leg kicked the ground and Kagami climbed the stairs, limbs more limber and flexible, providing him with the kind of speed he needed.

The siren of the alarm that sounded distant, quickly elevated in volume as he leaped up the stairs, making his sensitive ears ache.

When he got to the top of the stairs, he arrived in a narrow, empty hallway, the light from a high window lightened the dim space. Kagami sniffed cautiously, he could hear people shouting from a distant, from beyond a closed door at the other end of the hall. He walked towards what he assumed to be the exit. There was some other doors along the corridor. He could smell detergent and soap substances, as well artificial fragrance coming from a door nearest to the exit.

The exit itself wasn't locked, there was a small gap he could pry wider with a nudge. Kagami could slip through the gap easily, but he stopped on his track, perking his ears to listen in to the sounds beyond the blaring siren.

Running footsteps. Something being dragged, or cluttered to the floor, or shattered. Someone yelled fire and to evacuate the patients, someone else stammered in bewilderment — panic, fear, confusion and anxiety were evident in the tone of their voices, overlapping one another. Kagami paused. If he'd escape in this form, he'd be discovered on the spot, and he'd scare some innocent bystanders. There were probably bodyguards on the way out, too. He could easily overcome a few of them, but what if there were more Heavy Seeds bodyguards lurking about?

Kuroko crossed his mind, at that moment — what would Kuroko do at times like this? His mate would do something to prevent unwanted attention and blend in, Kagami realised. He could avoid obstructions and go to where Kuroko was, faster.

He quietly glanced at the door that reeked of soap, thinking it might be a laundry room. He'd torn his previous clothes — he could use something to cover himself. Kagami shifted back into his human form, with the absence of thick fur to cover himself he was pretty much naked from head to toe. He needed some clothes, for the sake of decency.

He grabbed the door knob, turned it and stepped in. It was quite big; there was a row of industrial washing machines placed neatly along the wall across of the entrance, on top of them, there were baskets with a mountain of sheets and towels, also what he assumed to be the hospital's uniform scrubs, blue and green in colour. Kagami approached the baskets, picked one of them and sniffed it. It didn't smell too bad.

He looked for a set with sizes that would fit him, and put it on. They were a little small on him — especially the pants, too short and the hems hung around ten centimetres above his ankle. He chose the blue one. Kagami shrugged and decided it would suffice enough.

Kagami was barefooted, but who'd notice that? He'd wasted enough time, already. As soon as he was ready, Kagami stormed out of the laundry room and out of the corridor's exit at once, eager to get to his primary goal. He had to stop the mating arrangement — even if he had to carve a bloody path to prevent it and get his mate back. Baring his fangs with fury coursing through his veins, Kagami went straight towards the source of the commotion.

First, he had to find a familiar route he could use to lead his way to the West Wing. These corridors were too fucking identical wherever he went, like a goddamn maze. Fuck, he wished nothing happened yet — the commotion with the power outage had got to put a stop to whatever the hell they were doing.

The thought of Kuroko and Kise in the nude, their bodies mingled together — it was enough to drive him into insanity, from the rage and jealously. Kagami had a hard time calming down the increasing desire to let the beast out and let him run wild.

Kagami figured if he followed the source of the commotion, he'd found the exit, where they'd be evacuating the patients to, then he'd go from there. The numbers of footsteps increased and the noises became denser as if knitted together, Kagami could see people — nurses and patients — after a long walk in empty hallways. He paused for a mere second when somebody yelled in a familiar voice.

"Evacuate the patients! Use the ambulance vans to get them to the nearest hospital, the women and kids are first! There're supply trucks around too, so use them! HURRY UP!"

That sounded awfully like Aomine.

Kagami broke into a run — of course! Aomine would know something about Kuroko! He'd never thought he'd ever feel glad to see the panther, but he was hopeful — he'd do anything to know what happened to his lover.

Eventually, he joined a throng of hospital staff and patients alike, ushered towards the exit for the evacuation. He could see the teen was with a group of three nurses and a bodyguard, talking to them and leading the crowd towards the entrance. Kagami's eye twitched at the presence of the bodyguard, but he'd approach him anyway.

"Aomine!" He called out from afar.

The teen turned around with eyes widened, when his gaze fell to Kagami. "Kagami!? Where were you? I thought you were — " He paused, glanced around and said something to the staff around him, Kagami caught some of the broken words — muffled by the siren and the crowd — it sounded like instructions, he guessed. The staff and bodyguard around him left after that, presumably to do whatever Aomine told them to.

"Where did you come from? I was looking for you!" Aomine asked, tone weirdly hushed and loud. It was kind of hard to communicate amongst all these commotions.

"I don't know, some sort of cell in the basement — enough about that, where's Kuroko? What's going on here?" Kagami quickly switched the subject.

"So, it was the solitary cell in the basement, I thought so." Aomine murmured, eyebrows furrowed. He looked to his left and right once, then leaned closer to whisper to Kagami. "Akashi told me to mess with the generator, so I did, and now they can't get the power back up. Tetsu and Kise should be able to take advantage of that — I heard from the bodyguard I bribed, they've escaped captive and now Uncle's deployed most of his army to pursue them. The West Wing's exits are blocked to prevent them from escaping the building."

Kagami couldn't believe what he'd just heard, it didn't escape his notice that the mating had been called off, but the fear of Kuroko being trapped and surrounded had overtaken the relief. "What!?" He yelled. "He's trapped in the West Building!? I got to go to him — "

His sentence was abruptly cut off when Aomine grabbed the collar of his scrubs and yanked him closer, glaring heatedly.

"Don't. You.  _Dare_." He hissed. "I promised Tetsu I won't interfere with his  _sacrifice_. I promised him I'd take the others to safety. He was the one who suggested to be the  _distraction,_ so nobody else has to take the fall — Kagami, you have to trust him on this, like he  _trusted_  you. He believed you'd be fine on your own, and here you are, standing in front of me. He was right. Tetsu's  _always_  right."

" _Sacrifice_ …? What?" Kagami mouthed the word in confusion, mind went blank.

Aomine clucked his tongue, impatiently.

"He wanted to do it, draw in their attention so everyone can get away. He told me he wouldn't get caught — you, of all people, should've known better that he's pretty much an expert at that — concealing his presence and scheming. Besides, he has Kise with him. Kise might be a pacifist and avoids conflict most of the time, but he's as strong as you or me when situation's dire enough. He'll protect Tetsu." Aomine released his collar, and Kagami staggered back.

"Kuroko and Kise … a distraction?" He breathed out, still locked in a dazed disbelief. His mind was overloaded with the weight of the information Aomine just told him.

"Bad news is, I'm stuck here because I gotta keep up the farce and get everyone else out of the way. The plan's working, for now. I have make use of the panic." Aomine mutedly said. "Kagami, go fetch Murasakibara and the others. They're still in the East Wing, somewhere — you should hurry. I think uncle's gonna start thinking of using them as hostages to lure out Tetsu and Kise. I'm supposed to do that, but I can't do it myself, right now."

Aomine's gaze went towards the staff who were evacuating the patients, the children and the elderly, some were bound to wheelchairs or dragged along in their beds. The newborn young cubs and pups were still in their incubators, too small and vulnerable to be moved from their sterile environment. Aomine's expression was stiff and sullen.

Kagami stared and bit his lip. Kuroko was fighting his own battle, he realised. He was doing it voluntarily; a decision made on a clear conscience despite the risks and danger. He knew it was the truth — Kuroko, who would look at Furihata and Kasamatsu with sadness in his eyes, for having unwittingly dragged them into a circle of misfortune and blamed himself for it — this was something he would do. If Kagami interjected, he'd be disrespecting Kuroko's wishes.

He swallowed the spit that gathered at the back of his throat, his pride was pushed down along with it.

" … I'll do it."

"That so." Aomine said. "The East Wing's got less people in it, probably already emptied out. I'll get back to you when I'm done here."

The subtle implication hadn't escaped his notice.

"I got it."

Aomine gave him one last hard look, before turning his attention to the crowd again, yelling out orders. Kagami spun on his heels and against his internal desires, he ran towards the opposite direction from where Kuroko was — clenching his jaw and biting back the need to look for his mate. He had to trust Kuroko — no, Kagami believed in him. He was his partner, in more ways than that of romantic sense — he was clever and stronger than his appearance suggested. Kise was also with him. The wolf was a strong Alpha, that much he knew.

"Kuroko's gonna be fine. He's gonna be fine." He kept chanting the words under his breath, as a self-assurance.

He could go to him when he got everyone else to safety. Kasamatsu, Furihata and Murasakibara, he had to make sure they were untouched — Kagami couldn't be selfish. He mustn't. Because if someone was hurt again, Kuroko would be saddened and he'd blame himself. Kagami didn't want to see the grief reflected from those blue eyes. He promised him everything would be back to normal, he'd given his word.

And now, Kagami would keep his promises, even if it was against his own desires.

He bypassed and dodged people who ran from the opposite direction, it was hard to move quickly with so many people rushing out all at once. Kagami eyed the board sign for emergency stairway, he made a sharp turn and entered, going up the stairs and skipping several steps at once to get to the third level quickly, for the skywalk bridge. It was more crowded than he'd previously assumed, once again he found himself avoiding the traffic — must be because the elevator wasn't working, everyone was scrambling down the fire escape.

Kagami resumed to skip steps as soon as the coast was clear, the door to the third floor was wide open by the time he reached it.

The floor was eerily quiet and empty, safe for the siren. Kagami remembered the route from there, immediately switched his attention to the directional signs for the skywalk towards the East Wing. Kagami thought he was going too slow — as he was running he started transforming his legs, kicking off the ground and breaking into a sprint. The cotton pants ripped slightly along its seams, but not enough to tear completely.

When he arrived at the other building, he'd found it mostly empty, but an uneasiness settled itself in his guts. Kagami looked for the emergency stairs — not far from where he was, he left the door open and started leaping through a couple of steps at a time, to get to the floor where Furihata's room supposed to be, quickly.

Past the fifth floor, he sharpened his hearing and among the chaos caused by the alarms, he caught disturbing noises coming from the upper floors. He could catch pieces of animalistic growls and yells, sounds of something hitting something else loudly, then muffled voices — he detected anger in the incoherent, broken words. The loud siren made it difficult to decipher the sounds properly. Kagami sped up, the bad feelings in his guts worsened as the noises became clearer.

Disturbed, the seams of his clothes began tearing at the seams, the stitches of the pants burst and pieces of the fabric flew off, his limbs grew more muscular and dense. Coarse fur sprung out in place of the superficial outer covering — a fevered wave washed over his whole body. Kagami pulled the scrubs over his head and tossed it aside when it got too tight, passing the sixth floor's iron plate and finally reaching for the seventh.

Just as he was passing through the exit, a loud roar echoed throughout the emptied hallway.

Kagami's body burned with a sudden rush of adrenaline, forcing the transformation to accelerate in full haste. His claws dug into the porcelain floor for a steady footing before he took a sharp turn and propelled his motion towards the source of the roar — the furs on his back stood to its edges — his pristine, bestial vision caught the sight of a gigantic beast of a bear, surrounded by five or six werebeasts — one of them had clawed their way onto the bear's back, fresh blood soaking patches of furs on the giant beast's torso.

Murasakibara growled and made wild movements to get the werebeast off of him, but failed, only managing to shake him around. The others started to overwhelm him — one by one dragging him down to the floor by catching a hold of his limbs. The bear retaliated, one free arm with a set of great black claws raised and swung at them, hitting one and sending him ten metres aside with a singular heavy blow. The assailant fell and twitched, but hadn't managed to get up.

The bear roared and took a large bite of a werebeast nearby, his fangs sank into the junction of the shoulder and neck.

The bitten opponent cried out, blood started seeping out of the wound and staining Murasakibara's snout with dark crimson. The Grizzly bear detached his mouth only to bite down into the same spot again, taking a firmer grip this time and pulling the body to one side with a cocked head and a force so powerful, the werebeast's body was dragged along with it, legs dangling a few inches off the ground.

He was at the mercy of the large omnivorous beast, when Murasakibara took a keen and sudden turn to the other direction, released the strong hold of his jaw and the man was thrown in the air, left to crash against a large glass panel of a nearby nurse station. It shattered with the impact and half of his body sank onto the table inside of the station, laying unmoved amongst pieces of scattered glass.

But he was still outnumbered, the rest quickly detained the arm as it laid unmoved in the aftermath of the assault and held it down with their weight.

The werebeast on the bear's back circled an arm around his neck and dragged his claws at the bear's exposed throat, opening bloody lines over the flesh. Murasakibara growled loud and deep, the pool of deep red liquid on the white porcelain floor thickened, as more blood leaked out of the wounds and dripped into the puddle. The iron scent of blood and torn flesh was abundant, traces of red smeared all over bleached white walls and grounds.

Kagami's own blood boiled in his veins. He let out a sonorous roar that rang louder than that of the siren, enraged. The fury quickly overcame his rational judgement; the beast running rampant.

His vision blurred as he took to his arms and hind legs to gain momentum, claws dug into the ground and kicked off — his eyes zeroed in on a werebeast who was holding down Murasakibara's arm. As soon as he locked in on the unsuspecting prey, Kagami leaped for it — arms and claws spread — and dove at the werebeast, pulling the opponent off of Murasakibara's right arm and dipping his claws into the werebeast's shoulders.

They rolled on the floor a few times, before Kagami gained the upper hand and hovered over the werebeast, snarling, clawing and punching repeatedly at the stunned prey. He overwhelmed the assailant quickly with the ambush, taking advantage of his confusion. He pressed his large palms over the throat and choked him until he passed out from the lack of air. The unconscious opponent transformed back into human form, seconds later.

Meanwhile, Murasakibara's released hand had grabbed a fistful of the skull of the werebeast who'd climbed onto his back, he proceeded to forcefully drag him down and slammed his face to the puddle of blood on the floor. The werebeast was instantly knocked out in the impact.

Kagami spun on his heel and sprinted at the other two who were still holding onto the bear's limbs. He sank his teeth deeply into the arm of one of them and tasted the peculiar coppery flavour, until the werebeast howled in anguish and loosened his grip on Murasakibara's other limb — allowing the bear enough freedom to take down the last opponent.

The gigantic bear's enormous raw strength allowed one clean stroke of his arm, to send the last werebeast across the other side of the corridor, hitting hard against a wall with a loud crack. He slumped down onto the floor, motionless.

Kagami panted heavily after he'd taken out his target, and wiped off the blood on his snout, staring at the blood-covered Grizzly bear. He was impressed by how Murasakibara defeated four of them all by himself, despite having taken quite a number of damages.

Murasakibara turned to Kagami, beady purple eyes glinted dangerously with killing intent — before he knew it, the bear had gotten close to him, only one step away, with a raised arm and flexed claws, his movement was unexpected and too sudden for him to dodge, only for Murasakibara to miss and hit something right behind Kagami.

Something made stifled growling noises — Kagami realised it was the werebeast he'd thought to have taken down earlier.

"You missed one." He heard Murasakibara say, in a gruff animalistic voice. Kagami watched as the werebeast collapsed, struck on the crown of the head by a giant Werebear.

Murasakibara straightened his back. Kagami noticed the bear was slightly taller and much more imposing in wereform, compared to his human counterpart. And that was saying a lot, considering Murasakibara's usual self. Especially with the many patches of his fur that were flattened and soaked with blood, he looked like he'd been in a violent bloodbath. Yet the bear didn't seem much affected by the wounds. He reeked of blood so heavily, Kagami's nose tingled with discomfort; the tiger inside of him was too pleased by the sight.

"H - hey, you okay? That's a lot of blood…." He asked and stared at the still bleeding wounds on the bear's neck, in disbelief.

"… oh, this? Most of it isn't mine. The rest're just scratches. It doesn't hurt that much." Murasakibara rubbed his neck and flexed his shoulders, more blood flowed out of the wounds and was absorbed by the thick tuft on his chest. By the way he was dealing with it, it looked like they weren't deep, although his breathing was harsh and uneven.

"They're playing dirty — ambushed me with six guys. Kinda overkill don't you think, Kaga-chin? Though they almost had me for a minute there. Thanks, Kaga-chin. You really helped me." He slurred his sentences lazily, flashing Kagami a toothy grin stained with red.

Kagami cringed. What was he,  _a_   _friggin_ '  _tank_? He got some dense muscles, there. He felt sorry for the guys the bear had beaten up bloody, before the rest managed to overwhelm the titan by sheer numbers and obstinate persistency.

"Wait, where're Furihata and Kasamatsu?" Kagami realised when he looked around — among the limp bodies along the hallway, he couldn't spot them.

"That's why I said they're playing dirty." Murasakibara let out an annoyed growl. Dark hostility began to exude from him. "When they attacked me with the lot of them, I couldn't shake them off, so Kasa-chin took Fu-chin away with him. We got separated. … even though Aka-chin told me to protect and stay with Fu-chin and Kasa-chin all the time. But they got in  _my_   _way_."

Murasakibara didn't seem fazed, but Kagami could  _feel_  the anger arising from the usually impassive bear, bloodlust flashed within the depths of his eyes. The resentment thickened in his scent. The bear was unhappy and murderous. The limp bodies of the bodyguards scattered along the hallway were testament of his capability, although Kagami did contribute a part of it.

The bear started sniffing around, nose twitched. He paused, suddenly perfectly still. "I gotta go find Kasa-chin and Fu-chin." He declared, then walked over the unconscious bodies of the bodyguards, nonchalantly stepping on one or two of them on his way.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" Kagami was baffled by Murasakibara's lack of initiative for mutual cooperation. He quickly chased after the titan.

This was bad, he mused to himself. How long had Murasakibara been distracted by the mooks? Were Kasamatsu and Furihata alright? Kagami had a bad feeling about this. "How many men were there, when they got here?" He asked, both he and Murasakibara were sniffing around to track the scent. The amount of blood from the previous fiasco was messing with Kagami's scenting radar, and the siren was still too loud to detect by sound.

"A lot." The taller werebeast made a short guttural sound. "They came after the alarms went off. At first, the guys outside the room came inside and tried to take Fu-chin and Kasa-chin with them, so I beat them up. Kasa-chin beat up some of them, too. Pretty cool for a small guy. He was really loud. Called them names and such."

Kagami could somehow imagine that, the former Captain of Kaijo wouldn't go down so easily considering how feisty he'd get, with his drop kicks and loud voice.

"But then when we got out, more guys came. I was carrying Fu-chin on my back, had to take him down to fight. But there're a lot of them, so I got distracted. Then, Kasa-chin and Fu-chin were gone. I remember Kasa-chin said something like he'd lure the rest of them away." Murasakibara scratched his head. "I don't think I can beat up so many of them at once. Five guys' my limit. They're really persistent and annoying."

" … Kasamatsu was trying to help you?"

The bear tilted his head to look at Kagami, then nodded. "Fu-chin can't really run, so they can't go far away. Maybe Kasa-chin's hid him somewhere then distract those guys, or he's gonna try protect Fu-chin by himself. I think that's what those guys are aiming for, though."

They started breaking into a run when they caught a faint whiff of Kasamatsu's scent. Furihata was a little harder to detect due to the mixture of medications in his natural scent. And the whole hospital smelled like medicine.

"So what you're saying is, Kasamatsu and Furihata are fending for themselves right now. Alone." Kagami could feel the temper peaking into the ceilings. "Those  _motherfuckers_ , they purposely did that to separate you from the weakest of us. Fucking cowards!"

Murasakibara shrugged. They turned left when they reached a forked junction, Kasamatsu's scent was clearer in that path. "You know, Kaga-chin. Fu-chin and Kasa-chin are nice. Kasa-chin gives me a lot of sweets and food. Fu-chin tells me stuff about dessert blogs and 'food porn' websites on the internet. The stuff he shows me look delicious. He knows a lot about the internet."

Kagami stared at the bear. Was that what they were talking about, all those times spent together? As expected, the conversation didn't stray too far from food and desserts, for Murasakibara.

"They're trying to hurt Kuro-chin and Se-chin, by making Kasa-chin and Fu-chin do things they don't like — right, Kaga-chin?" The bear asked, without looking. His eyes glinted strangely, flickering between red and purple. Sometimes the shades emerged together, intermingling in an ethereal way.

"… I'm gonna  _crush_  them to  _bits_."

A cold chill abruptly emerged and crawled up his spines, then Kagami gulped.

The ice in Murasakibara's gaze was reaching to him, his scent grew charred and the hostile aura sufficiently darkened, bitter and distant. Kagami wondered whether the anger he was displaying was due to the fact that his Teikou ex-teammates were in danger, or was it because the titan had grown some sort of bond with Kasamatsu and Furihata, and they were threatened? He couldn't tell.

Murasakibara was really hard to read, seemingly motivated by whims more times than that of a sense of responsibility. Sometimes he thought the giant was more than what he appeared to be, beyond the childishness and egoistic motives — after all, Tatsuya couldn't have fallen for a mere brat, as someone who'd grown up in the more unsavoury parts of the neighbourhood, back in the States.

Tatsuya might look gentle, but he was tough and disliked nonsense — used to the racist bullying they'd sometimes encounter for being Japanese in a dominantly foreign community. This was the man Tatsuya had chosen.

Murasakibara suddenly paused, stopping on his track. He lifted his jaw and went perfectly still, causing Kagami to stop sprinting as well. "Huh? What is it?" He asked.

"I smell something bad. Sort of familiar — but really annoying." Murasakibara murmured under his breath, his nose twitching. The other teen stared at him weirdly. "Kaga-chin, don't get in my way. I'll get mad if you do."

" … the hell are you babbling about? What's this about me getting in your way? Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

Murasakibara smirked. Kagami was taken aback by how sinister it looked. "I don't like this  _stench_."

The titan said nothing else and started sprinting, even faster than before. Kagami jolted in surprise and chased after him, confused. The scent-tracking was easier this time, as Kasamatsu's scent grew stronger and stronger as they went farther, but Kagami started feeling sufficiently bothered when he caught the smell of blood growing thicker, as well. He glanced over at Murasakibara, who seemed stoic but accelerated his speed. For someone of his height and weight, the bear was fast — just as he was in court, a basketball player considered to be a natural prodigy at the sport.

But so far, Kagami had heard nothing. The siren of the alarms drowned the noises around them, but when Murasakibara fought his assailants, it was a noisy affair; filled with animalistic roars and growls, something hitting something else loudly and claws scraping against hard surfaces — it was practically a brawl. But the scent of blood and the general silence — Kagami really hoped they weren't too late.

He fixed his sight far ahead of them, Kagami felt his pupils growing larger when he saw, from afar, someone was being lifted up by another person — no, a large werebeast — much taller and bulkier than the person they were detaining high in the air, a large furry hand wrapped around a slim, fragile-looking neck. He felt his blood ran cold, and he stopped breathing for a moment.

It was Kasamatsu.

He was being held up in the air by the neck, with eyes squeezed shut and form seemingly listless, arms dangling at his sides. His complexion was as white as sheets.

The ice in his blood melted in a fraction of a second, when a wave of intense heat rushed and coursed through his veins, setting his entire body ablaze with a powerful force akin to wildfire. When his blood bubbled up and reached to the top of his head, Kagami could no longer think — the words flew off his mouth before he knew it, feeling as if it would  _fracture_  the very core of his soul if he didn't.

" —  _MOTHERFUCKER, PUT HIM THE FUCK DOWN!!!!!_ "

The werebeast turned his head towards them — Kagami was almost blinded by the rage, and was about to pounce with claws flexed wide — until the werebeast did something completely unexpected; he flung Kasamatsu at them.

Kagami thought his heart had stopped beating when he saw Kasamatsu's body was flying in the air, towards their direction. His jaw dropped and he instantly changed his stance, claws screeching on the porcelain surface of the floor to halt the momentum and failing to control the aftereffect of full-speed sprint, causing him to stagger.

In a matter of seconds, Kasamatsu had started dropping in mid-air and would hit the grounds several feet ahead of him — and Kagami was instantly reminded by the fact that he was carrying a child in his belly, during a vulnerable trimester period prone to miscarriage. A drop from that height and with such a force — he didn't even want to imagine such horrendous consequences. Kagami could feel a burnt black fear and a wave of nausea grew in the pit of his belly, the pressure was crushing him underfoot.

Meanwhile, the werebeast — the Heavy Seed Bear from before — and several of the Middle-Seed werebeasts around him were taking advantage of the moment of shock, sprinting to them and readying to attack. At that second, Kagami realised that they were using Kasamatsu as a distraction, to disperse their focus and cause loopholes in a moment of panic.

If Kagami went to catch him, they would assault both him and Kasamatsu in the second he did — never mind that one of them was in a delicate condition.

"Kaga-chin, catch Kasa-chin!"

Murasakibara's enormous back quickly concealed their opponents from Kagami's sight, forcing the group of hostile werebeasts to halt their operation and face the giant bear in front of them. Kagami quickly snapped from the state of conflict, bared his teeth and braced his stance. Inside his head, he gathered every bit of concentration he could muster, to calculate the ways to catch Kasamatsu with minimal impact and tremors. He wasn't the best at using his brains, but his raw instincts rarely failed him.

The decision and the result of the calculation were made in a split second.

Kagami leaped forward, a few metres behind Murasakibara, stood on the ground with claws digging into the floor deeply, cracking the surface of the porcelain tiles beneath his feet. He waited for a second and a half as he crouched down, until Kasamatsu was at a certain height, then Kagami used his weight to propel himself straight upwards, arms spread widely. The top of his head and ears touched the ceilings, yet not enough for him to collide against it. He wouldn't have cared even if it did.

Had he waited a second longer, he would've missed — but he didn't — Kagami was at the exact right moment, for him to catch Kasamatsu. He quickly wrapped his arms around the smaller frame as soon as Kasamatsu's form cushioned against his body. His thick tufts of fur had done its duty admirably, and lessened the impact of the throw. The muscles of his thighs and shins strained painfully tight when he landed, the floor quivered under their combined weight and a few tiles were broken as the result.

Kagami looked down to check the boy in his arms; Kasamatsu was unconscious, there were a bleeding wound on his head, various scrapes on his face and arms, there were bruises around his neck that were still red. His clothes were torn at the sleeves, torso and trousers, possibly from partial transformation, but also ripped with claws. There were bruises on his forearm and wrist — shaped like fingers and nail scores. He spotted blood under the fingernails and over his palms.

Everything suggested that he'd been grabbed but tried to fight back. He was outnumbered, and the signs of struggles were obvious.

Kagami sharply inhaled, taking in deep gulps of air, several times. Something sharp and cold and invisible stabbed through his chest, when he saw the wounds on Kasamatsu's body. He spotted a bench nearby, standing up with Kasamatsu in his arms. He walked over to the bench and lowered the older boy's body there, gently. Kagami wiped off the blood on his forehead with a hand, mind rapidly clearing up in an alarming rate.

Murasakibara was fighting off the Heavy Seed bear and several of the others, having a little trouble with just him alone against the lot of them.

Kagami rose from his knees, he knew one of the werebeasts had slipped past the titan's defence and was raising his claws — meanwhile giving out his scent so absurdly obvious. Still watching Kasamatsu, Kagami thrust a hand towards his side and caught a hold of the werebeast's cranium, the latter staggered in surprise and was stopped on his track completely.

"Don't touch him. You're  _filthy_."

Without warning, Kagami slammed the werebeast's head against a nearby wall with every ounce of strength he possessed. The blood from the prey spurted and gushed onto the pristine white surface, its scent was similar to the stench of fish and copper. Kagami looked at the chaotic pattern of the blood splatter, disgusted when he saw some of the droplets had gotten near Kasamatsu's feet.

He withdrew only to slam the head back to the wall and repeated the motion two or three more times, until the Middle-Seed werebeast had thoroughly passed out, with blood dripping from his nose, mouth and the split skin over his forehead. He would wake up with head concussion, possible fracture of the skull and a very painful headache, in a few hours. Kagami released him then, walking away before the unconscious body hit the floor, to join Murasakibara.

The bear dodged an attack and had sprung backwards. Kagami stood next to him. "How's Kasa-chin?" Murasakibara panted heavily, looking a little out of sorts — after all, he'd been ganged up on twice, by then; It must've taken a toll on his body.

"He's passed out. No serious injuries, only bruises and scratches." Kagami answered, his gaze burned at the man who'd thrown Kasamatsu as if he was a mere rag doll. " … unbelievable. They used Kasamatsu as a decoy just for a chance to surprise us. They fucking piss off the hell out of me." He snarled viciously, the bitter resentment burned his own scent and affected his aura.

Murasakibara looked at whom Kagami was glaring to. "Kaga-chin, I told you not to get in my way. I wanna take down the big guy. He  _reeks_." He hissed the last word with a strange tone, pointing a finger at the other Heavy Seed bear. "Kaga-chin can wipe out the small fries, instead. They're a bother."

Kagami quirked one eyebrow at that. "The bear? By yourself? … is this a bear  _thing_  I didn't know about?"

The titan grinned toothily, Kagami could still see the thin layer of blood still coating those sharp fangs. It looked fresh. "Yeah, Kaga-chin. It's a bear  _thing_. So, can you beat up the rest? I don't wanna get distracted by weaklings."

"God, you're such a selfish brat. What the hell did Tatsuya see in you?" Kagami scratched his head. "… fine. I'll handle the rest. I only got one condition though; do your fucking  _worst_  to that guy."

Murasakibara smirked and nodded.

He wanted to give a proper payback to that fucker, but Kagami knew Murasakibara could do better than him, when it came to pulverising the enemy. Besides, there were plenty of others he could properly vent his anger to. Kagami didn't know he could be even more infuriated than he'd been before, right there and then.

"Why the fuck did you do that!? He could've been badly hurt, or worse,  _miscarried_! Aren't you supposed to keep the hostages safe!?" Kagami couldn't hold back the fury that raged up a storm within him, the move was completely unnecessary and beyond outrageous.

The Heavy Seed bear cocked his head as if Kagami had asked a curious question.

"… our order is to take the Wolf's mate and the friend of Arctic Fox. President said nothing about what kind of state they're in, as long as they're alive and not too broken up, it's acceptable." The bear easily said, standing tall in infuriating composure. "Besides, he's a  _mutt_. Nobody cares for a mutt's pup. We're not even sure if it's really the Wolf's, it could've been anyone's."

Kagami inhaled sharply, crimson flashed before his eyelids.

"You fucking asshole — you're  _all_  worse than  _piles of dog shit_!" He had enough that they'd dehumanised Kuroko, now he knew they were all fanatics who'd think decent people like Kasamatsu and Furihata as nothing more but a means to an end. Because of what? That they were of the lowest class in their idealised elite society — and therefore disposable? They made him feel sick.

Murasakibara took a step forward. "You really reek."

Kagami blinked when the giant Grizzly bear took an abrupt, keen turn and in a split second, he was already in front of the Heavy Seed werebeast, swinging his large, black claws at him, aiming for the throat. Everyone in the vicinity let out a gasp, in varying volumes. The titan's claws managed to sink his claws in and lacerate the flesh a few inches along the neck, before his opponent reflexively swatted his hand and leaped several feet backwards, a palm pressed over the gushing wounds. A few drops of fresh blood had dripped to the floor, soaking the victim's hand.

The purple-eyed titan straightened his back and tilted his neck, blood dripping from his withdrawn claws.

" … I missed." He huffed, sounding disappointed.

The wounded Heavy Seed glared at him, baring his fangs and shouting at his stunned soldiers to stop fooling around. The Middle-Seed werebeasts snapped from their dazed states, nervously nodding and scattering to form a semi-circle formation, attempting to surround the two teenagers.

Meanwhile, Kagami gaped at Murasakibara, who had been mostly quiet and stoic before. He hadn't expected him to violently lash out in a moment's notice. "You - you just — Wow. I mean, good job, man! You really took him by surprise, there!" He couldn't help but to give the titan a compliment and a pat on the back, impressed.

"I don't like him." Murasakibara blandly said, eyes gleaming with a strange glint. "I told Se-chin I won't let Kasa-chin get hurt, and I told Aka-chin I'll stay with Fu-chin. He makes me break my promises. And, he reeks."

"… you keep repeating that weird stuff, but otherwise, my sentiments exactly!" Kagami opted to dissuade the urge to ask what the hell Murasakibara meant by the thing he'd been babbling about repeatedly, knowing he'd never get a straight answer from the giant. Kagami clenched and unclenched his fists, spreading his claws out.

"Let's beat the shit out of them."

Murasakibara grinned toothily.

It was a no holds barred fight, no restraints — the moment one of the Middle-Seed werebeast charged at him, Kagami sidestepped, caught a firm hold of his outstretched arm, while he pressed one foot against his chest, then he proceeded to pull the arm while pushing out the body in opposite directions — effectively dislodging the arm off of its socket with a dull snap. The werebeast screamed, falling to his knees and holding the dislocated shoulder.

Another werebeast came to his friend's rescue, Kagami jumped from the line of fire before the strike connected — noticing how generally slow they were.

Kuroko was right. Due to their intensive Basketball training, both Kagami and Murasakibara were more agile, faster and had much better reflexes than the bodyguards who'd spent most of their time patrolling and staying still in their posts. They lacked physical training and discipline, well-built but had no idea how to work and move those muscles properly even in their wereforms, like beasts who'd forgotten how to hunt.

Although, the Heavy Seed Black Bear was leagues above the rest in those aspects, managing to counterattack Murasakibara's punches and all the while seemingly unfazed of the wounds the titan had inflicted on his neck.

Murasakibara was presently engaged in one-on-one with the other Heavy Seed bear, while Kagami prevented the others before they could cheat and outnumber the titan again. Over time, they seemed to notice how formidable the titan was, for being able to hold his grounds on his own against a full-fledged Heavy Seed Werebeast, in equal measure. They'd decided to swarm Kagami instead, shifting their attention exclusively for the tiger.

Cowardly tactic, but wise — they separated him from Murasakibara and surrounded him in a loose circle. The werebeast whose arm he'd dislocated was still standing on his feet, snarling angrily at him and holding his useless arm with one hand. He looked furious, thirsty for revenge.

Shit. Kagami had pissed off the bunch of them. He should've taken down that one guy, earlier.

They launched a string of simultaneous attacks on him in rapid successions, Kagami dodged most of them, but more than a few managed to connect — he was punched and clawed and scratched, the wounds were shallow but drew blood, the bruises stung. It was difficult to counter when as soon as he'd caught a hold of one, two of the others were striking at him. Kagami ducked his head and lost his grip in result, forced to step even further away from the titan, who was busy dealing with the strongest of them.

Kagami managed to pin and incapacitated one of them by breaking his arm, then dodged when three clawed hands struck his shoulder and left him with more wounds — he heard glass shattered and saw Murasakibara had shoved his opponent's head against a window, but the Heavy Seed bear almost immediately jolted back up, blood seeping out of a gaping wound on his head and pieces of the glass falling on his sides. There were more obvious injuries on the titan's body that he'd detected from afar. They were still on equal grounds, though Murasakibara had slight upper hand.

Meanwhile, Kagami had to take the others down one by one, encountering some difficulties with the numbers. But he was determined to take it one at a time — a strategy with slow progress, but built up results.

He wasn't paying attention — too occupied in countering and dodging attacks, when one of them had slipped out of the battleground to approach Kasamatsu and hold him hostage.

Kagami snapped his attention towards them. He cursed loudly, accidentally digging his claws too deeply into a werebeast's stomach in a fit of panic and got himself stuck — the werebeast cried out when Kagami kicked him off to detach the grip, spinning on his heels and having full determination to stop them from hurting the older boy further.

His head blared with his own voice that blamed Kagami for being negligent. Kagami yelled out loud, stretching out a hand to grab the assailant.

During the time it took him to detach himself, he'd missed the moment Kasamatsu woke up. Kagami blinked confusedly as the older boy delivered an abrupt uppercut when the werebeast was distracted by Kagami's yell and had turned his gaze away — there was a gurgled noise when the strike hit him square on the bottom of his jaw. Then before they both knew it, Kasamatsu struck another hard punch at the exposed larynx.

The werebeast reeled and staggered back, violently coughing and palming his abused pipes — Kasamatsu stood up from the bench, he pressed a hand over his forehead and wobbled slightly. Kagami was stunned. An arm was still stretched out uselessly, trying to reach for something.

The older boy looked a bit disoriented, but not unaware of what he'd done, when he looked down at the werebeast who was wheezing and crouching on the floor. " … little shit. That fucking hurt,  _asshole_." Kagami heard him say.

Kasamatsu swung his leg backwards, then gave a sharp kick to the guy's crotch with as much force as he could muster.

Kagami cringed and hissed at the assault, he felt the hollow agony from how the werebeast's reacted to the kick, now painfully incapacitated. Kasamatsu punched him again, struck the tender part of his temples several times until the skin broke and the werebeast had a nosebleed. Kasamatsu's knuckles were red and raw from the strength of his punches, the tips started bleeding out. Eventually, the guy keeled over, twitching before ceasing movement altogether. Maybe the excruciating pain in various weak points in his body rendered him unconscious.

Kasamatsu gave a long lick at the split skin of his bloodied knuckle and spat at the immobile werebeast, glaring.

Kagami was staring and gaping. That was honestly brutal — the kick to the crotch —  _and_   _friggin' awesome_.

He'd almost forgotten he was still in the middle of a fight, another guy nearly sink his fangs into his shoulder.

" _Shit_  — " He ducked and sidestepped just in time, a hair's breadth away from being a chew toy. He leaped forward, bent his back and barrel-rolled to Kasamatsu's side, quickly jolted up to stand by his side.

" … Kagami? Is that you?" Kasamatsu had looked wary, only calmed down when he recognised Kagami from the scent.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's me." Although his voice should sound different in this form.

His gaze went to Kagami, then to the mob and Murasakibara at the far end of the hallway, somehow the titan's fight had gotten him quite far. He bared his fangs and elongated his claws, as soon as he realised the situation they were in. There were still three people to go, two of whom had suffered significant injuries including a dislocated shoulder — with Kasamatsu, he was no longer outnumbered.

"Are you alright? I heard you got caught." Kasamatsu said. He took a step back when the werebeasts started closing in, awfully cautious now with their members dwindling.

"I'm good. Long story short, I got out and came here to fetch all three of you. Figured they'd be targeting you when things went wrong for them. I met Murasakibara along the way, so we went on a search for you and Furihata." Kagami paused. "Where's Furihata? He's not with you?"

The older boy fell silent, his expression hardened and grew severe. "I'm sorry, they caught up with us when we tried to run away. We were cornered, I got hit and blacked out. I don't know what happened after that. I knew I should've hidden Furihata somewhere safe … those fuckers!" He barked out, features turning more and more beastly. Fervent anger flashed within his greyish blue eyes.

"It's not your fault. They  _almost_  had  _you_. We got here just in time before they took you in, god knows it's way better than having both of you taken." Kagami gritted his teeth.

High chances were; they already captured Furihata. Goddammit. Furihata was already in such a bad condition, he couldn't fight back even if he wanted to. Kagami should've gotten there  _much_   _earlier_ , although he knew blaming himself wouldn't bring back his Seirin teammate. Those bastards did their damnest to get their way.

Kasamatsu looked thoughtful. "… maybe we can still get him back. We must look for him."

Kagami flexed his shoulders, brandishing rows of sharpened fangs. "I agree. Let's finish this off, real quick."

He could smell the fear from the remaining werebeasts, steadily escalating. Kagami grinned, snarling at them ferociously just to give them an extra fright. They recoiled and took two steps back. This was gonna be a child's play. On a passing, he noticed Murasakibara had vanished along with his opponent, their battle probably had taken them to somewhere else — he could still hear faint noises of a brawl somewhere.

Kasamatsu and Kagami teamed up to deal with the rest. Kagami knocked out two of them, while Kasamatsu took another one down — he was impressed by how swiftly the older boy finished the guy off, Kasamatsu made a brief remark that his parents used to send him to a dojo when he was much younger, before he quit to fully commit to basketball later on. The guy knew where to connect his punches and kicks most effectively, even without having to transform fully into wereform.

Kagami on the other hand, had learnt how to fight from Tatsuya, in which the older boy taught him some of the techniques. Street harassments weren't uncommon in certain neighbourhoods, where they used to live. His methods were more crude and intuitive compared to Kasamatsu's more refined techniques, and the result tended to be messier.

When they were finished, Murasakibara was still missing.

Kasamatsu and Kagami followed the trail of both Heavy Seeds' scents, which brought them farther than Kagami had thought, although it wasn't hard to track them. There were smears of blood on the walls and floors, upturned benches and broken windows. It was a fantastic mess. Kagami wondered whether meeting another Heavy Seed Bear had triggered some sort of territorial aggression in Murasakibara? His reaction to the Heavy Seed seemed a little excessive.

The trail of destruction led them towards the emergency staircase. Kagami stopped Kasamatsu from grabbing the knob and suggested he did it instead, cautious that something would endanger the older boy. The latter looked at him, but agreed. Kagami urged him to step several steps back, before he turned the knob. The door swung inward, but it wasn't due to Kagami's push. Murasakibara stood before the threshold, nude and had transformed back to his human form, covered in blood, shallow wounds and bruises. He was panting heavily.

"He fell down the stairs, still breathing but not moving. It wasn't me, so I didn't win." The purple-haired titan sulkily replied when asked about the Heavy Seed. He seemed rather disappointed at the anti-climax. He'd turned back to his human form, Murasakibara must've run out of stamina in the short time he'd spent battling the other bear. Kagami thought he could've lost if the fight carried on for longer.

"Kagami, turn back to human form. You need to preserve energy." Kasamatsu told him, and Kagami obliged.

He had to admit, prolonging the transformation had consumed a large portion of his stamina — and he hadn't eaten much yesterday. When he did turn back, however, both he and Murasakibara were stark naked, the latter even sneezed out loud without the warm protection of his fur. Kasamatsu's clothes were still intact, only torn in odd places. Also, they were both covered in blood.

They went back to their room to wash up and changed clothes — the shirt and pants in Kuroko's suitcase still fitted Kagami considerably, but looked funny on Murasakibara; the seams of the pants looked like it was about to burst and shirt stretched out, rippled from end to end. Kasamatsu changed his torn clothes, too.

It took them around ten to fifteen minutes to change clothes and clean up. Their wounds weren't treated properly and only washed off with water, still bleeding a bit. But otherwise they were pretty shallow. The bruises were painful, though. It sucked.

Murasakibara looked beaten up, although he acted nonchalant, raiding the cupboards and mini fridge for snacks and sweet drinks. Kagami did the same, starving from all the physical activities. They ate as Kasamatsu led them to check the entire seventh floor, for traces of Furihata.

"The trail's gone cold." Kasamatsu grimly stated. Being a canine with sharper nose than Kagami and Murasakibara, his was more trustworthy. "I can hardly detect Furihata's presence in this floor. Maybe they've done something to it, to cover the scent. And, his is already weaker with the medication. It's hard to track."

Kagami nodded, but remained exasperated by the fact they'd managed to lose Furihata. Those motherfuckers were going to use him to lure out Kuroko, the bastards. " … we gotta go tell Aomine." He told them. "I want to know when Akashi's gonna come. Maybe there's some news."

The redhead wouldn't be happy to learn that they'd lost track of Furihata. Kagami shuddered to think of how Akashi would react to the news.

They agreed to regroup with Aomine. When they got back to the emergency staircase, Murasakibara pointed out that the Heavy Seed Bear had vanished from where he'd fallen to, leaving a small pool of red behind. Kagami swallowed, but brushed off the negative thoughts — they had to go find Furihata and somehow get Kise and Kuroko, as well as everyone, out of this hellhole.

—

The siren was still ringing obnoxiously during their trip back to the centre building, and the power outage resumed. Kagami wondered how much damage Aomine inflicted on the generators when he said he'd messed with it. The repair had to cost a lot.

"You guys look like shit." Was what Aomine commented casually, as soon as they saw each other near the front entrance of the Centre building.

And that was the mug Kagami wanted to punch the most, but knew better than to act on it. " _Joking_. What's up? That took pretty long. I just finished with the evacuation; everyone's gone, now." The look on his face changed in a matter of seconds, switching to hard and grim and serious.

The three of them looked at each other, Kagami decided to explain him the short summary of it.

"When I got there, Murasakibara was attacked by a group of bodyguards. They separated them and got him alone, outnumbered. Almost had him, too. Then after that, we found Kasamatsu unconscious and more of the mob. We took them out, but …" Kagami balled his fists, gritting his teeth. "… they took Furihata with them, probably even before we found Kasamatsu. We couldn't find him anywhere."

"Shit, that's not good." Aomine said, frowning. "Akashi called me earlier, he's on his way. I'm not looking forward to telling him the kid he's seeing is kidnapped again."

" … me neither." Kagami was  _so_  not looking forward to Psycho Akashi showing up, he would very possibly turn the place upside down until he got Furihata back.

"We have to find a way to track Furihata, and get Kise and Kuroko out." Kasamatsu raised his voice, crossing his arms. "Where are they? They can't be outside of the hospital, right?"

"They're in the West Wing, the entrances are blocked to prevent them from escaping. So far, I haven't heard of Tetsu nor Kise being captured. Though I bet uncle's going to use the Seirin kid for that purpose, to smoke Tetsu out of his hiding." The teen sullenly explained. "We can try to break in, but there're too many bodyguards lurking about. We're outnumbered. I think we should wait for Akashi in the mean time, he said he's bringing his own bodyguards to help us."

Kasamatsu nodded. "I agree. Kagami and Murasakibara have used too much energy to fight off a group of them. I think we shouldn't be reckless and wait for a while longer. If possible, treat their wounds, too."

"I can help you with that."

Kagami whipped his head around when a fifth voice joined the conversation, didn't quite expected it when a familiar green-haired teen stepped out of a corner behind a wall leading to the other side of the corridor, holding a toy toad in one hand and sauntering towards them. Midorima looked back at him, through a pair of black-rimmed glasses. Before Kagami or anyone could say anything, he'd beaten it to him.

"I'm here because Akashi told me to assist you. I've finished my tasks, and he simply saw it appropriate for me to use my ability to solve the problems with the lot of you, since he is presently occupied with something important. I am his representation, in the mean time." He briefly explained, before adding. "I've arrived with Takao. He's in the restroom right now."

"Right. I forgot to tell you; Midorima's here." Aomine scratched his neck.

"Uh, that's great." Kagami said, unsure what else to say. "Thanks for coming, Midorima. How's it on your side?"

"Naturally, I come bearing updates and instructions." The teen nudged up the bridge of his glasses.

"We managed to gather enough hard evidence and tracked down several witnesses; basically we've covered the basic grounds for intelligence gathering, and then some. Everything is set to be sent to the Boards of Directors, and for Akashi's lawyers to sue for the many crimes the Current Director have committed against his victims, including the abduction of underage children, physical abuse, blackmails and others. Everything should be ready by afternoon today, all we need to do is to ensure the victims are unharmed until then."

"Easier said than done, they got Kise and Kuroko surrounded. And they have Furihata, too." Kagami scoffed, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yes, I heard. Akashi is on his way with help. We may want to smooth the path for him, however. Takao and I have managed to sneak in due to Aomine's assistance and the previous uproar with the evacuation, I couldn't help but notice the security at the front gates has been quite loose. I suppose they're mobilising most of their manpower to capture two teenagers hiding in the other building, how careless and foolish of them." He pointed out.

Kagami cocked one eyebrow. "You mean clear out the security guys at the gates?"

"Yes, that is exactly my point, Kagami. I counted approximately 8 to 10 bodyguards currently on standby. Shouldn't be too hard for you to do it." Midorima stated, matter-of-factly.

"… right, and we're the ones who gotta do the physical labour and not  _you_?"

"I am here as a sort of strategist to gather intelligence and solve problems, not some foot soldier  _buffoon_. That would be your role, Kagami." Midorima nudged up his glasses and smirked.

… what was it with the Generation of Miracles and their penchant to pissing him off so much? Kagami begrudgingly mused, fuming.

"If Mido-chin says so." Apparently, Murasakibara wasn't opposed to the idea. "But I really want to eat food right now, fighting's making me hungry."

"Murasakibara, you just devoured two bags of chips and three cans of coke. No more snacking for you." Kasamatsu sternly warned, wagging an index finger. He seemed more like a mother than someone who was just two years older than them.

Midorima stepped forward, stopping before the ex-Captain of Kaijo. "Kasamatsu Yukio-san, Akashi told me to dissuade you from participating the conflict, please relax and refrain from doing too much physical activities. We must pay attention to your condition, after all, and we've prepared a car to send you to the nearest hospital for a thorough health check up should you wish for it."

Kasamatsu looked up at the taller teen, unresponsive.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm staying here until everyone's safe. I'm not going anywhere without Kise." He firmly declared. "And … I'm partially responsible for Furihata's capture. I may not be able to move as much as I want now, but I'd like to help with the best of my capability, under the situation. If you could show me where to find the First Aid Kit, I can treat these boys' wounds. I know a few things about treating minor injuries, at least."

His answer seemed to render Midorima speechless, and Kagami was impressed. Kasamatsu had been nothing but calm and helpful, so far. Kagami understood his feelings about not wanting to leave until his own mate was safe and sound — Kagami would adamantly refuse if told to leave without Kuroko.

"I - I see. I respect your decision." The Ace of Shuutoku remarked. "But do refrain from further physical labour, I can see that they've treated you more roughly than they're ethically required to. How are you feeling?" He asked, eying the bruises on his neck and split skin on Kasamatsu's forehead.

Kagami also didn't know whether Kasamatsu had been roughed up more than what he'd seen. He hoped the damn Heavy Seed bear hadn't done worse to him, or Kagami would gladly rat him out to Kise and allow the wolf the satisfaction of tearing him apart. He'd be the wingman.

"I'm fine. And yes. I won't be moving much. I'm a little worn out and dizzy, but mostly alright. I don't think they did too much damage on me." Kasamatsu admitted, a hand rubbed his neck. "My throat is a little sore. But it's not a big deal, overall."

"Kasa-chin, you shouldn't fight anymore, okay? I'll get scolded by Se-chin." Murasakibara put a hand on Kasamatsu's head and ruffled his hair, despite being younger. Kasamatsu was reasonably annoyed by it, attempting to move the large hand off of his head, only for the titan to repeat it again, unfazed. Kasamatsu fumed and loudly told off the purple-haired giant. It was a pretty funny sight.

"Hey, where's Takao? Haven't seen him around." Kagami nonchalantly remarked, looking around for Midorima's friendlier, much more pleasant partner. He hadn't met him for a while, now. The last time he'd seen Takao, they were at Akashi's hotel room.

Midorima looked as impassive and dismissal as usual.

"He's in the restroom, he'll be back soon. Although, he  _is_  taking a little too long. That Takao, what is he doing? Don't tell me he's been taking photos in the — " He abruptly paused. Kagami watched as a sort of realisation dawned upon the Cheetah's face, wondering what was up. He looked like something fell dead in front of him.

" — told me he was going to the restroom after we overheard Aomine saying Kise and Kuroko are trapped in the West Wing." He murmured mutedly, looking pale all of a sudden.

"Huh? What did you say?" Kagami couldn't hear clear what the teen was saying, too soft for their earshot.

"Takao." Midorima's voice shook, a hand came to his face. "I think he's out looking for Kise and Kuroko on his own."

—

TBC.

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Honestly, I really like writing MidoTaka, so I'm bringing them back! Takao is pretty reckless, though.


	16. Hunting Season

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, hello~ I'm back~ And as I was starting to think this series has become sort of like a Shonen manga (but with straight up yaoi instead of just bromance), and then I realised KuroBasu IS from Shonen Jump, only the battles are replaced by super-powered sparkling sportsmanship instead of cursed swords or kunais or special abilities by consumption of dubious fruits. So … okay? *justifying violent content*
> 
> Btw, totally random: I've been listening to the same songs while I wrote a number of BC's chapters: "Chandelier" & "Elastic Heart" from Sia's "1000 Forms of Fear" album. Also, "Animals" by Maroon 5. You can read while listening to them!

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 16: Hunting Season

—

"I'll go find him. I'm planning to look for Kuroko myself, anyway."

He'd said without thinking, as if it was a natural response.

Midorima, Murasakibara, Aomine and Kasamatsu all looked at him, similar looks plastered on their faces. Kagami felt uneasy, being the centre of attention all of a sudden. "So… yeah, I'll go look for Takao? I mean, I fetched Murasakibara and Kasamatsu …-san, already. So I'm gonna join Kuroko and Kise, maybe figure out a way to get Furihata back, too." He tried to explain more elaborately.

The bespectacled teen had lifted his gaze from the cover of his hand, staring at him unblinking. "Are you nuts? Aomine just said the place's surrounded! You can't be serious—" He breathed out and then abruptly paused. His complexion paled further, possibly from the thought of Takao trapped in said surrounded location.

"Yeah, well. I get it, okay!? But  _screw_   _that_!" Kagami felt his temper raised by several degrees. He was done waiting. He'd done his selfless duty, now he wanted his lover back,  _now_. "I'm here to get my mate back and I'm not sitting my ass out here while I've got no freakin' idea what's gonna happen to Kuroko! I'm not a fucking coward! I'm  _going_." He loudly declared.

Kagami thought he could find a way to somehow sneak into the building, then he'd search for Kuroko. It was risky, of course, but hell, everything was risky at this point — he'd gone so far, so why not go all the way, now? Both Murasakibara and Kasamatsu were safe, sans Furihata—Kuroko had to know, Kise as well—he was sure the blonde wanted to know his own mate was safe and sound.

"Anyway, I'll look out for Takao too. Midorima." He looked at the green-haired teen, and told him. "You've helped me out when Kuroko went missing. So, I'll do what I can to return the favour."

Midorima only stared at him—lips parted slightly—but said nothing as if his voice was caught in his throat. Kagami didn't wait for a reply, he turned to the rest of the group.

He inhaled deeply before speaking. "Oi, Aomine, take care of the others, will you? Kasamatsu-san, at least get yourself checked to a doctor. You took quite a beating there, I'm worried." He glanced at the oldest of them, jaw clenched and unclenched when he saw the redness around the tiny scrapes on his head, swelling ever so lightly. "Murasakibara, you got beaten up pretty badly before I got there too, you gotta treat those wounds. I dunno if you're just acting like it's nothing, but you look pale."

The purple-haired titan cocked his head to the right, the corners of his mouth were still peppered with crumbs of potato chips he'd devoured earlier. "Okay, Kaga-chin."

"I think I can still get a doctor and a nurse back here by call. They haven't gone out for that long." Aomine started. "But … you serious? You really gonna look for Tetsu,  _alone_?"

"Hell yeah, I'm serious. What, did you think I was joking?" Kagami huffed and tossed an incredulous look to the other teen, mildly offended.

Kasamatsu looked unsure."Kagami, be careful. I want to go with you, but… I'm afraid I can no longer think only for myself. I'll stay here, and wait until you, Kuroko, Kise and the others, come back." The older boy held a hand over his stomach, his gaze lowered. The hand traced one semi-circle over the tummy.

Kagami could still smell the scent of earth from him, lingering pleasantly. He was relieved it hadn't gone out of the radar, like the fire of a candle, put out. They'd still need to check by the doctor to know if the fight took a toll on Kasamatsu's baby, but he could be sure the cub was still there, alive. He was afraid the otherwise had occurred, how would he explain that to Kuroko, and most importantly, to Kise?

He nodded once. "Take care, Kasamatsu-san. You really shouldn't fight anymore, almost gave me a heart attack back there! I dunno what I'm gonna say to Kise if we let you get even more hurt." The blonde would break into his Alpha Wolf mode if he knew what they tried to do to Kasamatsu.

Something rang.

"That's mine." Aomine said, brandishing a cellphone and putting it against his ear. "Hello? Oh, it's you, Akashi…"

Yeah, he'd push the pleasure of the announcement to Aomine, for now. He had more important stuff to do; find Kuroko, then get him and the others out of there—somehow. After he'd bade everyone goodbyes, Kagami turned and walked away.

"I'm going with you." A rigid grip held his shoulder, stopping him. Kagami looked over, finding Midorima's hand on his shoulder. He had a grim look on his face when he'd said those words. Kagami blinked. "I'm going with you to find Takao, Kagami." He repeated his sentence, as if Kagami hadn't heard the first time.

He cocked one eyebrow. "… what happened to being a strategist and not a foot soldier?"

Midorima twitched, falling silent.

"I know, but it's … it's my fault." He looked down and withdrew his hand, fists balled tightly at his sides. When he spoke again his voice had slipped into a soft whisper, lips trembling.

"Takao and I have been arguing over the deal I've made without consulting to him. He … he wanted me to retract the contract—wanted me to break the deal and destroy the samples. He'd asked— _begged_  me so many times, but I refused because I was afraid they'd go after him if I did. I brought him here because I thought it'd appease him—I didn't think he'd go so far as to—" Midorima stopped and inhaled deeply. He actually  _fumbled_  an explanation.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Kagami quickly said, taken aback by the display of vulnerability Midorima showed. He didn't think the stoic teen even  _had_  a vulnerable side — losing Takao apparently reduced him into a semi-catatonic state, he was losing the composure he'd confidently sported previously. "But, didn't you say you're supposed to stay here until Akashi arrives, or something like that?"

He scowled. " … yes, that is true. I have told Akashi I would 'hold the fort,' as it were."

"Well, I know how you feel, so I don't know how to say this." Kagami rubbed his neck, unsure of what to say. "Okay, so you got your own stuff to do, and … maybe Takao hasn't gone that far yet? I can chase after him if I go quickly enough. I'll tell him you're looking for him. That okay with you?"

The green-haired teen didn't immediately reply, seemingly thoughtful.

"I suppose… you have a point." He said, then his hand went into his pocket to fish out a cellphone. Kagami looked at it curiously as Midorima detached one of the small decorative charms that were attached to it; a tiny green pouch the size of a marble, tied at the opening with rippled scrunch. It looked like it held something inside. Midorima stretched it out to him and Kagami accepted it, pinching the tie with his fingers and staring at it blankly.

"It has Takao's hair in it." He explained.

"Oh." Scent-marking. Got it. He idly wondered if Takao had a similar pouch with snippets of Midorima's hair, attached to his cellphone too? This was old school romance, he didn't think Midorima had it in him.

"Take it, I'm lending it to you." Kagami nodded. Shrugging, he brought it up and loosened the tie, sniffing and noting Takao's scent for tracking purposes—it smelled of sunlight and spring grass. When he was done, Kagami looped the thin rope around his index and middle fingers to make sure he wouldn't lose it.

"So, what are you gonna do now?"

Midorima bit his lip. "Now, I'm going to make sure Akashi have a smooth entrance." For the first time, Kagami saw the jade green eyes glinted strangely, the tips of Midorima's nails started sharpening, increasing in length—faint shadows of black marks faded in and out over his skin, flickering. His pupils thinned, elongated into vertical slits.

Kagami gulped. He'd never seen Midorima slip into a transformation, not even a hint of it, before. The Shuutoku Ace had never lost his composure, never lost control over his temper—and now he was pretty much losing it. Too bad Kagami wouldn't get to see him in action, the Alpha beast inside of him wanted to gauge just how strong the Cheetah could be. So did Kagami. The competitive nature of both him and the beast were still apparent even in a situation like this.

After they'd both agreed to their respective roles, Kagami left the scene with the pouch in his possession—sniffing it and tracking the scent with sharpened nose.

With the lack of people, the space was emptier; Takao's trails lit up like small dots of lights in a darkened path. His nose was cleared out of the fragrance of blood from the previous confrontation, now he could track easier and faster. Kagami broke into a sprint as he inhaled the air deeply, spreading the threads and pulling only of the one similar to the pouch's. He quirked an eyebrow as he sprinted through the halls — it was almost as if Takao wanted to be found on purpose, by how easy it was to find his trails.

Instead of leading him to the passages towards the West Wing, Kagami found himself being led up the stairs of emergency fire escape, until he arrived at the rooftop of the building. Cautiously, Kagami noted the door was swinging back and forth due to the wind, he could catch a whiff of Takao's scent clearly. The wind had acted like medium that carried his trails.

He wondered whether he'd really find Takao there? Having no other choice, he caught a hold of the door's spine and pulled it open.

The gust of wind blown onto his face, and Kagami let the door clicked shut behind him, clenching his eyes shut when some dusts came in contact with his eyes.

" _Dammit!_  — Takao? You there?" He shielded his gaze from the offending gusts, rubbing his eyes and feeling water pooling behind his eyelids. It stung slightly. He blinked several times, before he removed the shade to inspect his surroundings, squinting. His vision slightly blurred from the rubbing.

"Oh, Kagami. It's you, huh?" Takao's familiar voice greeted him.

Kagami blinked, slowly he could see the Jackal's form at the far side across of him, standing by the mesh panels that caged the rooftop area. He wasn't looking at him, seemingly fixed his attention at something else — Kagami realised it was the West Wing building, that was holding his focus.

"Midorima … is looking for you, Takao. He's worried. It's kind of dangerous to go off by yourself, right now." Kagami said, taking steps closer towards the other teen.

Takao didn't reply for a short while. "If Shin-chan's that worried, he should've come to me himself, right?" He didn't even look over at him when he said it.

"He's, uuh, he's kind of busy. Akashi's coming over with help and they have to make sure he gets in safely." Kagami didn't know why he felt slightly nervous. Takao was acting off. He became even more uneasy when the dark-haired boy started laughing, loudly.

Now he turned to look at him, head lolled backwards with hands gripping the mesh panels, supporting his oddly bent posture. "That's my Shin-chan, alright! Always the  _dutiful_   _one_." He grinned, but there was a slight furrow in between his eyebrows, made it seem that he was being sarcastic. "I'm kidding, though. I know he's not gonna come after me, I just wanna see if he would."

"He did want to come, he tried to persuade me to let him come along." Kagami frowned. Why'd he defended Midorima's decision, he didn't know — but he had to get the facts right. "But I told him I'd chase after you, instead. So he could do his work, 'cos I owed him one when he helped me out to find Kuroko."

"Hmm. Is that so?" Takao pulled himself back in, straightened his back and turned around properly. " … yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, I didn't want Shin-chan to come. I knew he wouldn't — after all, if Akashi asks him to do something, he'd definitely do it. I was betting on that."

Then why was it so easy to track him down? Kagami wanted to ask, but shrugged off the question. Takao seemed like he had an motive behind his action, although he had no idea what it was. "Why are you here, anyway? Why did you leave Midorima alone? That doesn't look like something you'd do. I mean, you're protective of him — as far as I can tell."

Takao looked at him weirdly.

"Shin-chan can take care of himself, he's stronger than me. Besides, he's smart enough not to get into fights he can't win." He said. "And well, as far why I left — Shin-chan's a worrywart, y'know? He never let me do  _anything_. I was getting annoyed. He's acting like I'm a sheltered princess. I mean, if it's about sheltered, he's way more  _princessy_  and sheltered than I am. He's clueless when it comes to street smarts, but acts otherwise. He's cute like that."

Kagami still couldn't read Takao's intentions — he was being very vague about it. "Midorima's really worried, you should go back to him."

Takao grinned. "Kagami, don't you wanna know how to get into the West Wing?"

He was about to continue his persuasion talk and had his mouth open, then Kagami decided he'd settle with a gape. "Wh - what? What do you mean by that?"

Takao pointed an index finger towards the building across of them. "I found a way to get in, less risks to get found out and everything."

Kagami followed his line of sight — he could see the ground area was being patrolled around by some of the bodyguards, the entrances guarded by at least two of them, and by what Aomine suggested, the skyway bridge was blocked as well. He didn't get what Takao was trying to say — the area was completely surrounded. He couldn't see how he could get in without causing a ruckus and gaining unwanted attention. He knew he couldn't avoid either, being by himself.

"What — I don't get what you mean." He chided.

"I know the guys said the building's surrounded. But hey, you'd never know it there's an unexpected blind spot, right? That's why I came all the way here, I gotta check it out with my own eyes." Takao casually said, tapping a finger to a corner of his left eye. Kagami looked at him, still failed to understand what he was talking about, something about blind spots.

"I'll tell you how to get in, but…" He paused, smiling. "… under one condition. Wait. Scratch that,  _two_  conditions."

Shit.

He didn't feel like he had a lot of time left, and the fact that he still didn't know of Kuroko's whereabouts — Kagami said yes.

Whatever Takao's intentions were, he couldn't know for sure, but his demands were simple enough; 1. Kagami had to let Takao come along, and 2. He'd stick to Kagami until they found Kise and Kuroko, but if he'd want to leave after that, Kagami mustn't follow him. Strange requests. He was feeling queasy about it, since he'd told Midorima he'd find Takao, even though Kagami didn't say anything about being able to make him return to the Shuutoku Ace.

"It's a secret." Takao had grinned and winked at him meaningfully, when he'd asked what his intention was. "I can only tell you it's something private. Also, can't let you rat me out to Shin-chan. I bet you wanna do that, 'cos you still feel like you owe him."

Kagami bit his lips. He was right on that.

"Anyway, don't worry about me. You should focus on finding Kuroko, Kagami." The teen had assured him, then proceeded to explain the possible entrance he spoke of, after he'd made Kagami swear he would give him full cooperation.

Takao pointed out at the high brick walls surrounding the compounds, specifically the side of the wall that was nearest to the West Building. Kagami could spot it easily from the rooftop, including the parts where the walls were hidden away behind the shrubberies and trees in a man-made wooded garden area a little farther away from the West Wing Building. They could pretty much see everything from there.

"They don't patrol much around the garden — probably focused on the building and its nearby surroundings." Takao explained to him. "Look at the gap between the wall and the building, it looks kind of narrow to me — it's pretty close to the building too, maybe there's a small path in between it. The guys are still patrolling around there, but they don't really bother checking it out thoroughly. And I can't imagine too many people can fit through."

Kagami peeked to see what Takao meant, but all he saw was that the mentioned gap wasn't visible since it was behind the entire building, too far away to make sure. How could Takao know there was a small path there? He looked at him questioningly, but didn't say anything. Takao resumed his explanation.

"It's an unconventional method, but if we go through the wooded area, scale up the wall until we get to the other side, then approach the building from outside of the wall then climb in again and find an opened window. I think we can actually make it in without alerting anyone. Be mindful of the patrolling guys, though. And if there's no open window, we can climb further. The building's not that tall."

Kagami threw a disbelieving look at Takao, before his gaze switched to the high walls hidden behind dense shrubberies. It was high enough — about five to six metres in height. He could climb up in his wereform, his legs to jump and claws to scale. "… talk about thinking  _outside of the box_." He commented, semi-ironically.

They agreed to the method Takao suggested, Kagami proceeded to give his word about keeping his silence. Midorima couldn't know, Takao reminded him again.

To avoid getting caught, both Takao and Kagami went downstairs until they arrived at the second floor of the building, where they'd opened the windows nearest to the garden area (they'd strolled around to look for the perfect location), then climbed down from there. There was a tree leaning towards the window, which made it far easier to accomplish the task without having to transform. And it actually gave them the idea of using a tree to climb over the walls, a more convenient way than having to scale a flat surface with bare knuckles and claws.

Before they went down, however, he put the small pouch Midorima gave him, into the pocket of his pants for safety.

Kagami almost forgot how the outside world smelled like; the fragrance of fresh grass and slightly damp soil pleasantly made its way into his senses. For once, it didn't leave a bitter taste in the back of his throat. He was struck with a need to take Kuroko on a stroll, with their hands entwined and fingers laced, warmth spread and shared.

A simple, inconsequential desire — but it was something he'd trade almost anything for, at that moment.

Discreetly, they went further within the dense greeneries, careful not to make the leaves rustle too loudly or too frequently. Takao led the way, he inspected the surroundings and decided the spot they'd climb over, opting where a tall old tree stood, overlooking the walls with a large branch protruding just over the spines. There wasn't anyone paying attention to where they were, a good deal of distance from the West Building.

They climbed up the tree and went over the wall, easy. Kagami only needed to use slight transformation to land safely on the other side.

Empty and safe. Funny how easy it actually was to escape captive, when nobody else was following their every move. Kagami could escape right then, but it was meaningless without Kuroko by his side. So he listened in to the sounds from beyond the walls, as they walked along, eyes locked at the menacing shadow of the structure within the compounds. Takao was observing the area, gaze almost never blinking. Once in a while, his bare feet stepped on twigs, rousing faint scrunching noises that was quickly blown by the rustling bushes.

He stopped on his track when they'd arrived at a designated spot, where the wall was closest to the building.

"Here's the best place to do it." He murmured, transformed ears perking. "I don't hear anything. We should do it now."

There wasn't a tree close enough to use as a support, so Kagami gave Takao a boost. When the other teen reached the top of the wall, he'd declared in whisper, that the area was clear. Then, he lent a hand to him. Kagami had to jump with partially transformed legs to reach the hold, both made it inside the walls again. It turned out there was a narrow path in the gap between the wall and the building — he spotted a trash burner at the far end of the caged path and a row of tall plastic bins along the walls, it looked like the area was used for that purpose.

No open windows though. So they didn't have much luck with that.

"There's an open window on the fourth floor." Takao suddenly said, a finger pointed at a seemingly swaying cloth, blown by the wind.

It was difficult to determine whether the window was opened, from such a height and with this angle. The only hint was the cloth, possibly a curtain. He got some sharp eyes, Kagami thought, only just remembered that Takao's eyesight was said to be as sharp as a Hawk's. One would wonder why he hadn't been born as a Winged Creature instead.

So they climbed. Kagami went up first.

Kagami grasped the large piping that carried rain water to ground level, another hand reached for the windowpane, claws digging into the walls and scraping tiny holes into the surface. It was harder than he'd imagined, with the lack of proper footing on the smooth surface of the building. His grip slipped every now and then, and Kagami hissed each time he'd missed a footing. But he carried on for the fourth floor's opening, sweat beading on his temples and soaking his back.

He used more and more force to create holes on the walls or to grip tighter with the thick hooks of his claws, grasping and pushing his weight up little by little. When the sweat touched the raw scratches that covered his body, it stung. As the muscles strained beneath his skin, so did the bruises. Kagami ignored them all. He only had Kuroko in his mind, and the determination to find him at all costs.

Takao had started climbing as well, below him.

After so much struggle, Kagami finally reached the window — pulling himself in and letting his body collapse, back against the cool porcelain floor. His chest was heaving up and down erratically. He stared at the ceilings, realising it was a patient room. There were three hospital beds, a TV set and curtains. His mind was too tensed to notice further details. A short moment later, Takao popped in and landed on the floor, staring at him with a worried look.

"You okay, man?" He didn't seem as exhausted as Kagami was, but he was still sweating.

Kagami pushed himself to sit, kneading his aching shoulder. His bent knees quivered ever so slightly. "I'm okay. Let me catch my breath. Why … are you unfazed …? That was pretty bad."

"I'm not injured." Takao shrugged and shook his head. It struck Kagami immediately, that Takao was right. Compared to him, the other teen was spick and span, while he, black and blue. "You gotta be more careful, Kagami. Don't strain yourself too much."

"I'll be okay when Kuroko's out of danger." He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. He turned his gaze towards the entrance, which was a two-leafed window with a French design it easily fitted his broad shoulders. Then an idea came across in his mind. "Hey … we can use the same way we come in to get out, right?" He asked, looking up at Takao.

Takao's lips parted slightly, glancing at the window then at Kagami. He looked thoughtful, for a few seconds. " … Yeah, totally possible. Should be easier to get down than to get up." He murmured. "You're going for it?"

"I think so. We don't exactly have other choices. And we gotta keep them out of here. Keep them safe, until the others come." He winced as he tried to push himself up, feeling the muscles stretched a little too stiffly. He could feel the pain sang at many tiny spots over his body.

"Well, if that's your next plan. Then I'm sticking with you until you all get out." Takao declared, hands akimbo. "I think I can hold back on my project for a little while longer."

Kagami cocked an eyebrow at that. "Seriously, what are you planning to do here anyway?"

As he'd expected, Takao smiled, tapped a finger to his lips and said nothing.

Just as Kagami was crouching to stand, his feet bumped to something — a small tube slowly rolled towards the opposite direction, hitting the wall beneath the window. Kagami blinked and leaned forward to pick it up. A tube of the smoke bomb, still faintly smelled like burnt chemicals, he turned it around in his fingers. Kuroko had installed it there, he mused. The opened window, was it Kuroko's doing as well? What a coincidence — Kagami proceeded to pocket the now empty tube before getting up.

Takao went ahead of him and stuck himself to the closed entrance of the room, seemingly listening in. Instinctively, Kagami did the same, sharpening and expanding the area of his earshot to the best of his capability. He didn't have a keen eyesight like Takao or Kasamatsu's sharp nose, but he could pride himself in his better hearing, at least. From a radius of several tens of metres, he could hear hurried footsteps, a man, two men, shouting. A floor below them. Their tone carried a booming quality, stained with tinges of desperation.

He could feel his heart soared with relief, when he caught a few of their words — _Find the Arctic Fox and the Wolf! Look for that side, you bunch go with me and check the other side._

They hadn't caught them. He breathed out a short sigh, but quickly stiffened his nerves. Until all of them got out, he couldn't be relieved just yet. His posture perfectly stilled, Kagami clenched his eyes shut and concentrated. Takao was observing him quietly.

The entire place had grown more quiet, the blare of the alarms had slipped to half its previous volume — maybe they'd started running out of battery, or maybe his ears had gotten used to it. It was easier now that there were far fewer elements to section out, distant noises cut off from the equation in favour of the closer ones. Running footsteps, whispers and shouts, then the ethereal echo in the empty space, bouncing from wall to wall. Kagami inhaled deeply, the information had been received.

"There're four, no, five people on this floor, they're pretty far from here." He said, then paused. His ears twitched. " … they just took off to the next floor. We can go now."

Takao nodded, smiling apprectively. The latter grinned sheepishly at that.

As they went out, Kagami kept up the morphed ears, both walking with careful steps as not to make too much noises. Takao's steps were much quieter than Kagami's, he realised. It reminded him of Kuroko, although his mate was in a whole other level of his own when it came to stealth.

"We gotta find Kuroko and Kise before they do." Kagami bit his lips. He and Takao were standing in a very dark corridor, Kagami couldn't see much in the dark. "Shit, Kise's one thing, but he's with Kuroko. Kuroko's gonna make sure he's at par with his camouflage. How are we supposed to find them?"

Takao raised an eyebrow at that, turning to him. "Camouflage?"

"It's — like Kuroko's misdirection, but a better version. Now he's much harder to find, let's leave it at that." Kagami said, knowing his explanation wasn't actually informative. "Anyway. We can't be too loud, so how do we find them? It's fucking dark here. Not to mention it'll take forever to search in this whole building."

"Good question, how about scenting?" Takao suggested.

He shook his head. "Won't work. Kuroko has a way to make himself scentless. And soundless. He's practically a ghost, at this rate, especially when he's doing it intentionally."

The furrows in Takao's forehead deepened. "Well, if we can't detect Kuroko's scent, maybe we can try Kise's instead? We can try tracking for his scent."

Something went  _ding_  inside of Kagami's head.

" … wait a minute, that's a good idea." He couldn't resist to bump his fist on an opened palm.

"If we have a hard time finding them, why don't we try to get them to come to us, instead? I mean, if we spread a trail of scents discreetly, those guys wouldn't know! Only Kuroko and my friends can remember  _my_  scent — and I was just with Kasamatsu earlier!" He grasped his shirt, remembering how he'd spend the last hours with Kasamatsu close by, then how Midorima had given him the pouch to identify and track Takao by scent.

No one but their closest would remember their unique scents. Those bastards wouldn't even know what was up in their own turf!

Takao's eyes widened.

"Shit, that's brilliant." He breathed out, impressed.

Kagami took off his shirt and started tearing at it, taking fistfulls of cloth one at a time. The pieces of cloth had both Murasakibara and Kasamatsu's scents in them, other than his own. He hoped that was enough of a signal for Kuroko and Kise to draw their own conclusions. He was sure Kuroko would get it, at least. They scattered the pieces of cloth and snippets of Kagami's hair at places that were fairly hidden, across the fourth floor, each on its own and not combined to prevent the scent from being too overpowering and obvious. They kept the distance of the drop points sparse.

Takao gave him suggestions at leaving deliberate, but vague scent trails that would lead to where they were presently. Kagami followed his lead, meanwhile he made absolute sure to scan their surroundings by sound as they did their little tasks.

When they were sure the patrolling group of bodyguards had left the area, they went to the next floor above them, and repeated the method. Kagami soon discovered there were two groups of four to five people checking different floors, two others stayed at the first floor and the skyway bridge passage each. Which suggested that Kuroko and Kise might've been moving around to avoid them, instead of staying hidden in one place.

He briefly wondered if they'd already found the clues left behind? He could only hope the sooner, the better.

They reached the eight floor and swept the area clean, scattering the clues. They had seen neither Kise or Kuroko, and Kagami's hair was getting shorter at the back. Not good.

"Is there a basement here?" Takao asked as they manoeuvred their way down the emergency stairs, Kagami was previously preoccupied by the footsteps that were getting too close for comfort, only for them to suddenly took a turn to the opposite direction moments later.

"'Huh? I don't know. There's one in the Centre Building though. Why?"

Takao shrugged. "I figured maybe they're hiding down there."

That sort of made sense. Although the first floor was crawling with those guys, so Kagami suggested to avoid the area altogether. It was too risky. He considered Takao's suggestion, but decided that they'd probably checked places like the basement if there was one. The basement he'd been locked in wasn't that big, and seeing it was a dead end with nowhere to run, he doubted Kuroko would choose that kind of location to hide. And so far they hadn't found them even after checking all seven floors of this damn building, including the rooftop.

That meant, Kise and Kuroko were indeed, moving around. Sooner or later they would find the trails. He did wonder whether they had already used Furihata for the purpose of smoking out Kuroko? It had been quiet, maybe a little  _too_  quiet. Kagami couldn't shrug off the worry he felt for his Seirin teammate, he wondered of his whereabouts and if he was alright? God, if they hurt him again, Kagami swore, it wouldn't even have to be Akashi — he'd make sure they'd pay.

"We should find somewhere to stay semi-permanently, so they can find us." Kagami said to Takao. "If we move around, we'll keep missing each other."

So they went back to the fourth floor, where they'd entered the first time, and waited.

"You okay? You look worn out." Takao had pointed out, when they took a break. Kagami sat on the floor, back against the wall below the window.

"I'm fine. Just … a little tired, is all." He'd replied, smiling reassuringly.

It had been half a lie, Kagami knew he wasn't completely fine. He was running out of stamina from the constant usage of the transformation on top of the full transformation with the previous fights. The tiny wounds had started bleeding again and his bruises turned discoloured purplish red, barely treated. He was breaking in cold sweat, his body slicked with a thin layer of sweat and grime. Kagami inhaled and exhaled, wincing when the split in the corner of his mouth acted up.

A rest was what he needed to regain a little of strength. Just for a little bit more. He was still strong enough. He could keep up until he was reunited with Kuroko again and had him in his arms, he could deal with this. This was nothing.

Takao didn't seem convinced, yet he didn't try to rebuke his claim. "Go rest. I'll keep a lookout." He declared, giving him a nod to go ahead and relax.

Kagami could only smile and murmur a thanks.

—

Moments later, he didn't know when exactly he'd dozed off and fallen to a dream.

Kuroko was right there in front of him. He was so close, Kagami could feel the warmth of his breath against his skin, and see every strand of silvery blue lashes, framing his eyes — the ones that Kagami loved so much. They were impossibly beautiful — a pair of deep pools of ocean, reflecting the sky above with shades of aquamarine transitioning to indigo. White surrounded the blue. Every time he gazed into them, Kagami felt like he would drown into the bottomless ocean, like he would be lost within them forever, immobilised, and he wouldn't have minded.

"Kagami-kun," He called him with a voice as soft as silk, that rang melodiously like a bell, caressing his ears. Kagami's gaze fell to the way his lips parted, the tender pink flesh wetted slightly as they moved, forming his name. He found it awfully distracting. "Kagami-kun, are you alright? Do you need anything?"

He looked up, the same deep blue gems met his gaze, there was something within them — like a school of little fishes, swimming in a circle of eternal repeat — it was strangely fascinating. He was struck with a longing desire to touch, to run his fingers over the side of his face, trail the pads across the pale skin and along his lips. He could feel his heart trembled, sunk when the thought that this was just a dream, crossed his mind.

He didn't want it to be a dream.

"Kiss me." He whispered, wanting the warmth to be real — needing it to be real. He felt like he couldn't live without it. "Just … kiss me. Be with me, always."

Always. Just as how they'd promised.  _Always together_.

He could see a flush began scattering over his cheeks, like petals of cherry blossoms falling over pure white sheets.

The school of fishes dispersed at once, the space growing empty and blank, flickering with a bright glint. The white that surrounded the twin oceans expanded. His lips quivered and faltered between opening and closing, making out broken words of astonishment. He was embarrassed, and it showed. So very unlike the usual aloofness Kuroko displayed on daily basis, how he loved that Kagami was the only one to ever see him like this.

He laughed. Kuroko was so adorable, even if it was just a dream. He reached out to him, hand caressing his blushing face. Kagami felt the warmth began spreading from the tips of his fingers. "God, Kuroko. I love you so much." He confessed freely, honestly.

His head was drunk with the sensation, heavy with fatigue, and his eyes would only see Kuroko. He couldn't hold back his desires, he brought another hand to cup his face and leaned forward, wanting to kiss him — wanting Kuroko so bad, it hurt.

"Kuroko…" He breathed, eyes fluttered close and half-lidded, gazing at his beloved from beneath thick eyelashes. Their lips merely a hair's breadth away.

"So … I hate to break the romantic mood and all, but I think we really need to get going."

Kagami stopped.

The image of Kise — who was standing a little farther behind Kuroko — came into sight. He was suddenly aware the warmth in his hands felt far too real for it to be a dream, the breath that tickled the top of his lip was life-like. Kagami blinked several more times, then withdrew, hands still cupping Kuroko's face, his head whipped around and he found out he was still in the very same room he'd sneaked into.

Takao was standing near the entrance along with Kise, both staring at him with amused expression plastered over their faces. The blonde's mouth puckered in a whistle. Takao was clearing his throat, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"I — what?" Kagami gaped and stuttered. It wasn't a dream, he realised. In front of them, as he'd thought it was a dream, he was dumbly babbling on about and demanding Kuroko to kiss him and, and then he'd unknowingly confessed — then Kagami resumed to quietly explode in red hot flush, the surge of warmth instantly crept up his ears and down his neck.

He released Kuroko as if he was touching fire, pressing his arms to his sides stiffly. "I didn't — I wasn't — I thought it was a dream — " He stammered, throat growing as dry as the desert.

Kuroko stared at him, eyes blank, the pink flush faded off from his cheeks. His expression had slipped into that of cold aloofness. "You … were not serious? You didn't mean what you said?" He asked, his tone of voice was oddly dim and down.

Kagami swallowed.

" _Goddammit_  — of course I'm  _dead serious_!" He caught a hold of Kuroko's shoulders and shook him a little. Blue eyes blinked at him. "I was just — I'm embarrassed, okay!? I didn't want such an important thing to be said in  _this_  kind of way! I mean, look at this place! We're not — fuck, we have to leave, now." As soon as he realised where they were, reality crashed down to Kagami.

"That's what I said." Kise randomly added, shrugging his shoulders and smirking infuriatingly.

They had no time to waste. After checking the coast was clear, Kise climbed down first. He used the nearby pipe to slide down onto the ground, landing with transformed feet. Kagami encouraged Kuroko to go next, while the blonde waited down there to help him get down safely, which reassured him somewhat. They looked at each other briefly. Kagami wished they had more time to spend together, but hell they couldn't afford it, so he went ahead and planted a kiss to his forehead, flushing lightly.

"I'll see you down there." He told Kuroko, brushing a thumb along his jawline.

"Yes, Kagami-kun. I'll see you soon." Kuroko replied, smiling.

Kagami anxiously watched as Kuroko climbed down, managing to smoothly slid down the piping. He sighed in relief when nothing significant happened — Kise caught him from below, and raised a thumb up to him. It was his turn, next. Before he could put a leg over the side of the window, Takao caught a hold on his bare shoulder, stopping him. Kagami turned to look at him, the other teen had a slightly troubled smile on his face.

"Sorry, I'm not going with you this time. I have my own things to do." He told him. Then Kagami was reminded of their deal, that after they'd found Kuroko and Kise, Kagami mustn't follow him.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, knowing Takao wouldn't tell. But the thought of having to explain to Midorima, compelled him to do so.

"I can't tell you. But … it's really important to me." Takao tilted his head, the smile faded from his visage. "Tell Shin-chan not to worry. I'll be back soon, I promise. I'll stay out of trouble."

Kagami didn't ask anymore. He remembered something, then shoved a hand down his track pants' pocket, fishing out the small pouch that contained Takao's hair. "Midorima gave this to me, to track you down." He said, showing it to Takao. The pouch dangled in his hand. "I know it's something important, right? I'm guessing you have a similar pouch with you, the one with his hair in it."

"… yeah, I do." Takao quietly pulled out a cellphone from his jeans, there were a few small talismans attached to his phone, along with a small blue pouch.

"At least call him, or something? You don't know how hard it is to have your lover away from you in a horrible place like this. Midorima looked like something died in front of him when he realised you were missing." Kagami rubbed his neck and winced a bit when he kneaded over a bruise.

Takao chuckled, his expression lit up. "Maybe I'll send him a text. A  _really_  sulky one, he deserves that at least."

"Thanks for your help, by the way. I owe you one." Kagami told him.

The dark-haired teen dismissed it easily, smiling reassuringly. "Nah. You helped me sneak in, too. Couldn't do that by myself, you know? Don't worry about it."

And they parted ways.

Kagami could only tell Takao good luck for whatever it was he was trying to do, and remind him to be careful. Takao waved at him as he climbed down, finding it much less tensed for his body. As soon as he was on ground level, Kuroko greeted him with open arms, circling his arms around his waist. Kagami returned gladly, embracing him once — a strong one. He lamented the lack of privacy and the location, but Kise was pretending not to see them, looking at the tall brick wall instead.

Kagami took the chance to sneak a kiss. Kuroko willingly accepted it, closing his eyes. They inhaled air as they kissed. It tasted salty, their saliva mixed with sweat. It lasted for only five seconds, but felt like a mere fraction of it. Then they withdrew, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Takao-kun is not coming with us…?" Kuroko asked, blue eyes glimmering in the sunlight.

He shook his head. "No. He told us to go ahead. He said he's got an errand to do."

Kuroko had looked like he wanted to ask more of that, but refrained to do so.

A short while later, they recreated what Kagami and Takao attempted, gave boosts for each other to get over to the other side of the wall. Kuroko first, Kagami second, then Kise was last. Once they reached outside the box, Kagami momentarily considered to drop everything behind, take Kuroko with him and escape — but soon he mentally scolded himself for thinking of something so selfish, there were people, their friends who'd done their best to help them. He couldn't possibly abandon them now, Kuroko would be angry at him if he even went so much as to suggest it.

During their search for a suitable location, Kuroko stayed by his side, holding his hand. Kagami felt like this was a dream come true — a small, insignificant desire fulfilled, at that moment. He began explaining the current situation as they went through the wooded area. His bare feet were full of small scratches that Kagami ignored on purpose, the soles were most likely black with dirt.

" — so Murasakibara and I found Kasamatsu on time. They're fine. Aomine said he'd take care of them." Kagami told them, leaving out the fine details. "Midorima's also there, they were waiting for Akashi the last time I saw them. He's bringing help, maybe even called the police already."

As expected, Kise was the happiest when he heard the news. "Kasamatsu-senpai is alright!? I'm so glad! I was so worried! I can't wait to see him again."

They stopped at a familiar spot. Kagami could see the huge branch that went over the spines of the walls, exactly where he'd seen it the last time. He listened in and didn't hear a thing, safe for a few insects and rustling leaves. He briefly informed the group that they'd arrived to their destination.

"Kagami-kun, what happened to Furihata-kun? You … didn't mention him."

Kagami tried hard not to seem too nervous.

"Kuroko, I promise I'll tell you later. For now, I'm asking you not to worry about anything until we get to safety. Okay? Please. Do this, for me." He pleaded, knowing perfectly well how selfish it was of him to withhold such a crucial information. He desperately wanted to get Kuroko somewhere far away from danger, not to run full speed back to where that prison was, because of Furihata's situation. He couldn't help but to feel guilty, very much so. But, if he was given the choice, he would inevitably choose to prioritise Kuroko. Over and over, again.

Kuroko stared at him, expression unreadable. Kagami had a feeling he couldn't really hide anything from him. "… I see. Then, I won't ask anymore." He left it at that, and grew silent.

They went over the wall and into the compounds, where they proceeded to enter the Centre Building to look for the others, managing to alert no unnecessary attention. For once, things had gone the way he wanted it to be. Kagami heaved a sigh, when they entered the building after he'd made sure the area was clear. He felt more tired than he did before, having kept up the transformations for at least half a day. He'd have to take a break from it. He chose to shut down his keen senses to preserve what was left of his energy.

He let an enthusiastic Kise lead the way instead, while he and Kuroko stayed a few steps behind. The wolf quickly sniffed around, presumably attempting to find his mate by scent. Kuroko had looked at him worriedly, and put an arm around his waist for support as they walked side by side. Kagami didn't mind the physical contact at all, he'd missed it greatly.

Eventually, they reached the lobby.

They spotted Murasakibara and Kasamatsu at the waiting area by the pharmacy, accompanied what looked like a doctor and two nurses, some of which were bandaging Murasakibara and treating their wounds. Kagami furrowed his eyebrows warily when he saw a few tall, built men dressed in formal white shirts and trousers were standing nearby, but immediately loosened up his stiff nerves when he saw Midorima among them. Could it be, that they were Akashi's men?

Kise immediately brightened up and ran towards where Kasamatsu was, shouting his name. Kasamatsu turned his head, eyes widened, then stood up, ignoring the doctor whom he was chatting with. Murasakibara, who sat a few seats next to him, also looked up but didn't stand. Meanwhile, Kagami and Kuroko approached Midorima, the former wanted to hear of some more good news.

"Unbelievable. You actually made it." Midorima said, glancing at Kise then to Kuroko. His eyes widened for a few seconds, something akin to relief crossed over his features. Kagami noticed Midorima was wearing different clothes, and there were a few minor grazes along the side of his face, his knuckles looked red and raw.

"Did you manage to sneak in? How come I didn't hear anything of it? It should be very difficult to achieve without rousing a suspicion. Kuroko… are you alright? Are you injured?"

Kuroko nodded once. "I'm fine, Midorima-kun. Thank you for asking. Kise-kun and I are not hurt."

"Well, I got help." Kagami admitted. His mate looked at him, maybe he wondered whether it was allowed to tell about Takao's involvement in it. He smiled somewhat assuringly, then Kuroko lowered his gaze and said nothing.

Kagami dug into his pocket to retrieve the pouch he borrowed, handing it out towards the green-haired teen. "Here. I'm returning this. Takao said he'll be back soon, and that you shouldn't worry about him. I did tell him to contact you, at least. He's got his cellphone."

Midorima inhaled sharply.

"… is that right?" He said, tone aloof. He accepted the item, holding it by the thin string. Green eyes stared at the similarly coloured pouch, grip tightened. Then Midorima delicately tucked the pouch into his breast pocket, sighing. "I'm sorry to have troubled you with this. I'm afraid I have been busy. I appreciate the assistance. Thank you. Next time I will go look for him myself."

"You're welcome," Kagami scratched his head, feeling awful for him. "So … how are things? Any changes?"

Midorima gave him a curt frown. "Well — "

" _WHO DID THAT TO YOU!? WHO!?_ "

All three of them were startled by the loud voice that echoed in the empty space of the lobby, so did everyone in close proximity — all heads turned to the source of the commotion. Kagami was slightly jarred when he saw the source had been Kise, who was happy and bright not ten minutes ago, now seething with rage so visible, his aura had manifested a dark murkiness around him, forming an outline of a giant wolf, baring its fangs and barking violently.

He wouldn't say he wasn't expecting this, but seeing Kise explode in anger was something that was still a very rare occurrence. It was jarring. He must've discovered the bruises on Kasamatsu's neck, that was a hard one to miss.

"Kasamatsu-san is hurt?" Kuroko breathed out, eyes widened, glancing at Kagami.

"Yeah, well, we got to him on time, but, by then they'd knocked him out cold." Kagami started. " … supposedly, they didn't do too much damage. Kasamatsu did sustain some minor injuries. It's not big a deal usually, but then again he's … pregnant." Even he couldn't be sure whether the impact of the conflict had affected the baby or not, which was why he understood Kise's sentiments.

Kise was making everyone in the room nervous, his anger dragged the atmosphere down with him — the air became tight and hot, dry as if the moisture was scorched. The scent of burnt cinder lingered thickly in the air, mingled with the unnatural concoction of antiseptic and medicine, it roused a sense of nausea in the pit of his stomach. Against the outburst, Kasamatsu tried to dissuade the tension, with little success.

"Kise, calm down! I'm fine!" He shouted, his voice shook and sounded shocked, like he didn't expect Kise to react so violently.

But the blonde was already consumed by rage. "No. No,  _you're_   _not_! You're not  _fine_! This — how could they do this to you!?  _Of all people,_   _you!? I can't believe it!_  I won't let this off. I won't! I'll kill them!" He barked out, loud and vicious. "The one who did this to you. WHO IS HE!? TELL ME! TELL ME WHO!"

Kise caught a hold of Kasamatsu's shoulders and shook him, golden eyes flashing dangerously. The older boy looked shocked, fear began overcoming his features. He looked frightened of Kise.

"… excuse me for a moment. I can't watch this anymore." Kuroko suddenly said, detaching his hold from Kagami. The latter blinked confusedly and watched as Kuroko sauntered off to the direction of Kise and Kasamatsu, perfectly composed and determined.

Kagami's mouth hung agape when he saw Kuroko punch Kise right in the face, without even saying as much as one word. Kise looked like he hadn't expected that, his cheek enflamed a bright red from where Kuroko had hit him. He staggered back, a hand held his face — his grasp had left Kasamatsu, who was staring at Kuroko with a disbelieved look on his face.

"Kise-kun, please stop being so selfish. You're distressing Kasamatsu-san." Kuroko worded every sentence calmly and politely, yet the way he spoke sent chills up Kagami's spines. "I am aware how upsetting it is to see your partner hurt, but please be more considerate. Kasamatsu-san is in need of medical attention, and  _you're in the way_. I honestly do not think yelling is any sort of comforting to the sick and injured, or to an expecting mother. Please be quiet and get a hold of yourself, Kise-kun. You're not making this any easier."

While Kise was digesting what Kuroko told him, he turned to Kasamatsu and smiled kindly at him. "Kasamatsu-san, please relax and rest. Don't worry about this  _blonde idiot_ , and get your wounds treated." He urged the older boy to sit on the chair, turning to call the doctor and nurse to check Kasamatsu. The doctor jolted slightly when he was called, but quickly assumed his composure and asked a male nurse to resume caring for the older boy.

Murasakibara, who was already bandaged up neatly, clapped his hands and looked very amused.

Kise was still dumbstruck, standing stupidly right where he was. He kept on glancing at Kasamatsu and Kuroko, mouth opening and closing. The latter frowned, went over to the blonde and elbowed him in the gut. Kise yelped, surprised. Kuroko told him something Kagami's ears caught as, "Kise-kun, now's your time to make amends. Go and be with Kasamatsu-san. Apologise and behave yourself, this time. Honestly."

The blonde had a look of realisation dawned on his face. He quickly nodded, he fumbled an apology as soon as he sat next to Kasamatsu, face flushed with embarrassment. The older boy's expression visibly softened, though it was still stiff with a frown, then he started scolding Kise for being a bother to everyone in the room. He only smiled apologetically and held Kasamatsu's hand as the nurse dab a wet cotton ball on a bleeding scratch.

"Good job." Kagami whispered when Kuroko returned back to him, grinning to him. "You were awesome. I feel like I'm falling for you again." He teased.

Kuroko blushed faintly at that, frowning. "… you keep on saying such an embarrassing thing." He paused. "Kagami-kun, will you now tell me what have happened to Furihata-kun?"

Kagami breathed in, deeply.

"I'm sorry. Sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. I was scared you were going do something reckless if I told you. I … I can't lose you again. I can't." He hung his head and averted his gaze. "Furihata… he … they got him. I'm sorry."

Unexpectedly, Kuroko merely heaved a sigh.

"I thought so." He grimly uttered. "And, Kagami-kun. Please don't apologise, I don't think you're to blame for Furihata-kun's capture. After all, you've risked yourself to help Murasakibara-kun and Kasamatsu-san. Thank you, for that. … I'm really glad to see them safe." Blue eyes gazed at Murasakibara, then to Kise and Kasamatsu. "It's not perfect. And I'm sad that Furihata-kun isn't here to join us … but, I'm grateful."

"Kuroko … we'll get him back. It's going to be fine." Kagami murmured, gathering his lover in his arms and embracing him close. He wished he could do more, but this was the best he could afford, Kagami knew that. It was so difficult, when one had no control over the things happening around them.

Midorima cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

"Pardon me. I think I still owe you an explanation?" He nudged up the bridge of his glasses. Kagami and Kuroko exchanged looks. Midorima crossed his arms over his chest. "About Akashi. He's arrived some time ago, earlier than expected. These are his men. Aomine is with him now. I believe, they are on a chase."

"A chase?" Kagami repeated, didn't quite understand what the green-haired teen was suggesting. "What chase?"

"Your friend. Furihata Kouki, is it? Akashi has mentioned him to me, before. I informed Akashi of the hostage situation, and he has been … very displeased by the turn of events, to say the least. So, as soon as he arrived, the first thing he did, was sniffed out where they'd kept your friend, and placed some of his men here, to guard the others. He is currently chasing down Director Daichi as we speak." He told them.

"In fact, I've been waiting for you to show up, so we may begin to clean up the institution — we have received permission to do so from the newly reinstated Director Aomine Daisuke. The police has also been informed with the presence of the evidence. The arrest warrant should be out by now. All we need to do is wait for their arrival — "

"Wait a fucking minute — Akashi is chasing the Director,  _now_?" Kagami was baffled, was that why it was far too quiet before, and why they hadn't dished out the hostage to lure out Kuroko? "And what about Furihata? Is he okay?" He asked, urgently.

Midorima gave a curt nod. "Yes. He was quite angry, you see. His eyes … has turned dichromatic. I believe he is currently not the Akashi we talked to throughout the process of the plan. He is very much focused on retrieving your friend, so you may not worry about that. I think we should be more concerned about his opponents, really. I told Aomine not to let him do too much damage, we need the Director and his men alive for the court hearing — murder does not make a good case, even in self-defence. We must remain victims in this incident."

The way Midorima said it was so unsympathetic and cold, it was almost comical.

"Midorima-kun, how long has Akashi-kun been out?" Kuroko asked.

"… around half an hour, he should call me when he's done with it." Midorima said easily, he didn't look concerned at all, dismissive, even. "Now that we are all present, I can dispatch the men Akashi has lent me, to clear up the area from hostile men."

"Wait, what about Takao? He's not here." Kagami reminded him.

Midorima's eyes glinted strangely at that. "… I know where Takao is. I'm going to … fetch him — he wants me to go after him personally. He's fond of playing such 'games', where I'm required to read his mood and follow his lead. Like a sort of treasure hunt."

"He said it's really important to him. I think he's looking for something." Kagami told Midorima, jaw clenching. "I don't think he was playing games at all, Midorima. Do you know what he meant by that? He seems serious."

"Yes, I know." He murmured, a more muted reply than Kagami had expected. "It's still my fault. That's why I have to go to him. I shouldn't have depended on you, Kagami. Takao can be very stubborn; He wouldn't listen to reason, at times. I will set out as soon as possible." He gave a hand signal to the group of guys — Akashi's bodyguards — one of them nodded, before walking off and leaving the lobby.

Midorima fished out a cellphone, then handed it to Kuroko, who accepted it. "When Akashi calls, that means he's back from the chase. Greet him at the gates, your friend should be there too." He told them. "I've done my duty, so it's time for me to be a good mate." Kagami saw Midorima's jawline stiffened solid.

"Good luck, man." Kagami patted his shoulder. The latter nodded once, then walked away, the bodyguards followed him — only a few remained, presumably to guard the place. Kagami wondered how many people Akashi had brought with him?

"Midorima-kun and Takao-kun would be alright." Kuroko uttered, his hand still holding the phone Midorima gave him. The pouch was still missing, although there were a few talismans clinging and swaying in the air, hanging to it.

Kagami scratched his neck. "I guess even they have their own issues, huh?" He was pretty sure it had something to do with the donation deal Midorima had gotten into, it seemed like a sore topic for the couple, coming up from time to time.

Then, just a short moment later, the phone buzzed in Kuroko's hold. Both Kagami and Kuroko looked at it, the latter inspected the flickering screen for the name of the caller.

"It's Akashi-kun." He announced, pressing the button to accept the call.

—

TBC.

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:  **Grammar and typos. Will be fixed soon.**  Next chapter is the last chapter for the conflict arc, but I will add an extra chapter or two, just for the sake of fluffs, sexy time and epilogue. Cos we need break time after all of this.
> 
> Also random question: what is your favourite scene in  **Beastly Call**? I'm planning to draw some comics based on my fanfics, but it's kinda long (like, very long). So you can help decide which to turn into visuals (yes even the R-rated scenes if you wish for it)! And of course, it will be posted in my fanwork tumblr page~


	17. the Final Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for the list of for the "Beastly Call's Favourite Scenes"! I'm amused to learn the different parts of this story that seem memorable to the readers! I got quite a number of it, in fact, around 13 - 14 or more scenes! I've been itching to draw proper comics for my OTPs. As some of you may have noticed (from tumblr), I've been practicing to execute the ideas properly ~ (yeah I'm that excited) I'm happy to announce I'll be doing BC's scenes soon! I'm excited. Are you excited? :3
> 
> So, here's the climax to the main Arc of this story. We'll have 1 or 2 extra chapters specifically meant to describe the aftermath of the arc and more moments of our favourite pairing! ;-} Aah, it's been such a long ride, guys. I broke into 200K words already. That's just so fucking insane. Remember when I said maybe this story would end at 100K? Yeah, good times.

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 17: the Final Call

—

Midorima went out to find Takao and take care of the rest of the hostile guards, Akashi was out looking for Furihata. Everyone else was there and taken care of, for the time being. They were so close, Kagami could almost taste the air of freedom, after so many days stifled and choked. He was eager to go home, with Kuroko and all of them. Out of this prison and back to their normal lives. So close, so close.

"Hello, Akashi-kun? This is Kuroko." Kuroko said, phone pressed against his ear. "Midorima has gone out and left his phone with me. Yes, I was with Kise-kun. Kagami-kun went to get us out — Akashi-kun, is Furihata-kun with you?"

His blue eyes flashed with a wishful glimmer when he asked that question. Kagami swallowed once, waiting in anticipation for the answer.

Oceanic blue eyes flared wide momentarily, before the pupils shrunk, slipping to a darker shade. Kagami could hear a restrained, displeased tone of voice from the receiver.

"… I … see." Kuroko's voice slid to that of shaken, quivering ever so lightly, jawline tightened and the air was inhaled in a quick surge. The grip on the phone was fastened, his knuckles turned white. "Akashi-kun, I want to see Furihata-kun." His voice was muted, but Kagami could still detect the slight tremor and the forced composure he spoke with.

"Yes… We'll be waiting. Kagami-kun and I … we'll be here. Yes, we'll see you soon, Akashi-kun." He nodded once, then Kuroko detached the phone from his ear, his sight hooded with a shadow as he stared at the device in his grip.

"Kuroko? How's…?" Kagami asked somewhat reluctantly. He could guess, but he hoped it would be better than he'd thought.

Kuroko looked up at him. The blue were already glazed by a thin layer of moisture, some of which clung to his eyelashes. "Furihata-kun is injured. He's unconscious." He told him. "He told me, that he'd found him abandoned, in the forest area outside of the walls." His expression began falling, the composure crumbled. "I - I don't know how severe his condition is. Akashi-kun sounded angry — "

Before he could finish the sentence, Kagami pulled him into an embrace, wrapped his arms around the smaller frame snugly. "It's alright. We don't know anything yet, don't assume the worst yet."  _Damn them_ , Kagami mentally cursed.  _God-fucking-damn them._ Kagami kissed the top of his head. "We have a doctor and nurses here, he'll be treated properly. He'll be okay." He really hoped nothing worse happened to his teammate. As if this wasn't enough, already.

Kuroko's rigid form slowly melted in his arms, more relaxed although still silent. But he didn't say anything, quietly returning the gesture and clutching at his back. Kagami saw Kasamatsu's expression growing hard, gaze fixed at them, widened and horrified. He must have overheard. Murasakibara had looked displeased, a shadow cast over his visage and gaze narrowed. The bandages strained as his biceps did, dots of blood seeping through the white gauze. His purple eyes shone dangerously.

 _Abandoned in the woods._  Kagami heard the sentence repeated in his head, unpleasantly reminded of a certain bastard.  _Nobody cares for a mutt's pup._

" _You're wrong!"_  Kagami wished he could yell that to that bastard's face. He regretted that he'd never gotten a chance to do so.

"Do you want to go to the gates? We can see them faster, that way." He withdrew and offered, brushing a thumb along Kuroko's lips.

Kuroko stared at him, eyes still glazed. He blinked, then nodded somewhat hurriedly. "I'd like that."

Kasamatsu had wanted to come along, but Kise held him back because he was still receiving treatments for his knuckles and bruises. Murasakibara looked like he wanted to do the same, but remained, said he needed to stay with Kise and Kasamatsu until Akashi relieved him from duty.

The giant looked much better now, although discolouration had started emerging from many spots on his skin, the ones weren't covered with bandages. Kagami and Kuroko went past several more of Akashi's bodyguards (Kagami noticed they all wore white button-up shirt with long sleeves, red tie and black trousers, some of them were of foreign nationalities) at the entrance of the building, the gates were around two to three minutes of walk from there.

They were still closed, so he encouraged Kuroko to walk slower, breathing in the clean air of the forest to relax their nerves.

Being outside was so much better than being inside, surrounded by nature and trees, a remote location that was supposedly built for therapeutic purposes. He could smell the fragrance of the grass, the sun on a sunny day and the budding flowers from the garden. The sounds of man-made pond, birds chirping and insects singing, like music born from the mother earth. Kagami could see why it was chosen to be a place of healing, twisted into something so antagonistic.

He felt Kuroko started easing up, the tension lifted bit by bit. The hand that grabbed him tightly, loosened. He closed his eyes and let Kagami guide him towards the rendezvous point, breathing in and out, slowly. He was enjoying a taste of the air outside of the  _cage_. Kagami was glad to see him relaxing.

When they arrived at the security post at the gates, Kagami discovered traces of fights around the vicinity. Smears of red fluid were staining the walls and grounds, a spider-web like crack the width of a melon was evident on the hard surface of the small building. He thought of Midorima. He must've done this, maybe with Murasakibara and Aomine's help — pretty impressive. Three against ten. He would've liked to see that.

On a passing note, he saw the sight of people in black suits, confined inside of the post, tied up and looked beaten. The area was now crawling with Akashi's men. There were quite a number of them, about thirteen to fifteen standing by the gate area alone. There were some back at the building, and how many had Midorima taken with him? Kagami could feel sweat beading at the back of his neck.

Did Akashi's father approve of this? It seemed like Akashi was allowed way more resources than he'd previously claimed. Something profitable to their company, maybe. He remembered the deal of shared ownership of the institution, between Aomine and Akashi, should the latter managed to reinstate the Former Director, Aomine's grandfather.

Even though the men were Akashi's, it still didn't feel that much comfortable being around adult strangers. Kuroko kept close to Kagami as they waited on the sidelines, gazes fixed at the tall, steel gates. Kagami could hear distant footsteps, coming their way. Minutes later, the men moved, clearing out the way and forming two even rows at each side of the main road towards the entrance. Kagami jolted up when he saw the gates shuddered, mechanical gears ticked and the entrance opened up.

Kuroko immediately took a step forward, approaching it closer. Kagami followed from behind.

What a bizarre sight, Kagami thought, it was like watching military soldiers greet their superior; perfectly lined up in two neat rows as Akashi walked past the line of the gate. One red eye and one golden, shone brightly even against the shadow cast by the sunlight that came from behind him. He held a cold sort of aura about him, even as his hair burned vibrant red in the flare. He had a streak of blood rubbed off from his jaw, there were scrapes over his body and his fists appeared reddened. But didn't seem to sport much damage.

He was wearing jeans and no shirt, carrying what looked like a large bundle of white sheets in his arms. Brown strands of hair peeked out of one end, resting against Akashi's chest.

It was Furihata, he realised. Aomine was walking beside him, wearing a plain shirt and pants. He was bruised at several parts of his arms and face, they looked like mere flesh wounds. There were three to five of the others, whom Kagami immediately thought were Akashi's men, following them from behind — most of their clothes ripped or missing large portions of cloth.

Kuroko went ahead, at once. Kagami followed him, swallowing when his gaze fell at the seemingly unmoving body. Akashi stopped on his track when they were close. Kagami was aware that this one wasn't the nicer, more reasonable Akashi he had grown used to. The way he looked at them seemed cold and distant, difficult to read.

"Is he alright…? Akashi-kun, Aomine-kun, what happened?"

Kuroko's visage blanched, twisted in panic. Kagami felt a sharp pain creeping into the inside of his chest when he saw him that way, the ache worsened when he caught a sight of Furihata's face caked in mud and dirt, there was a long scrape over his nose. The bruise on his eye still looked vicious, painful.

" … It seems like they'd abandoned him with the purpose to unload the 'burden' in an attempt to escape. Unfortunately, they've managed to slip away. I needed to prioritise Kouki's safety." Akashi's voice was heavy with low growls. His pupils were still that of feline slits. "We have to get him to the doctor. Tetsuya, Kagami Taiga, you may come with me."

Not another word was exchanged, they'd rushed back to the hospital to get Furihata some medical attention.

Kasamatsu was the first to approach them after they'd arrived. He had a gauze around his knuckles as he reached for the bundle. He was horrified, grief, worry and anger crossed over his features. Akashi refused to let go of Furihata until they dragged a bed into the hall to use — only then, he released his hold over the brunette, placing him gently over the mattress.

The doctor came to examine him, asking the others to step back and give him some space. Kuroko stood by Kagami's side at one side of the room, clutching his arm. Kise stayed with Kasamatsu, embracing him from behind to soothe the older boy's distress. Akashi was the only one who stood by the bed as the nurses neatly peeled the sheets off of him, revealing a series of discoloured spots over Furihata's torso. He wasn't wearing any clothing, soil and pieces of leaves covered his skin.

Kuroko grasp on his arm tightened at the sight, his expression grew more severe. Murasakibara came from behind them, watching silentyly. His eyebrows furrowed. Aomine was sitting on a chair, being examined by another nurse, although he was also watching the procession.

The doctor ordered the nurses to clean him up, as he inspected the initial damages. Many wet cotton balls drew in the soil and dirt, some of which were mixed with a little blood. The leaves and tiny branches were swept off of the surface of his body, towels were used to wipe his legs. After he was cleaned, the doctor moved in to inspect Furihata's wounds, closer.

What lasted for fifteen minutes had seemed like an hour or two. Then the doctor finally announced the result of his examination.

"These bruises are old, there are few fresh ones, but they don't look too serious. He's hit his head. There's a swelling here. It must've caused him to faint — he might have a mild concussion, but overall, he's alright." He told them, eyes still locked onto the brunette's listless form.

Kagami felt as if a heavy load was lifted off of his shoulders, heaving a sigh almost instinctively. Kuroko unwrapped his fingers, expression softened. They exchanged looks, Kagami then brought a hand around Kuroko's shoulder and held him closer.

"… the cut on his arm's opened slightly, but nothing a simple stitch couldn't fix. I will disinfect the wound and reapply the bandages. As for anything else … let him drink some water. He looks dehydrated. I'll prescribe some pain killers, there should be some in the pharmacy. When he wakes up, make sure he eats something."

"I'll take care of it." Akashi stated, turning to wave a hand at one of his men, who nodded. Then the man approached the doctor to ask for the prescription, and left to the pharmacy with a nurse.

Kuroko looked up at Kagami, then to Akashi. "I'll get some water. There should be a cafeteria in this floor." He told them. Akashi merely glanced at him and nodded, before turning his attention on Furihata again. He was now receiving medical treatment, the doctor was stitching the opened wound.

"I'll be back soon, the cafeteria's not far from here." Kuroko told Kagami when he'd wanted to go with the former. "Kagami-kun, please have the doctor take a look at you, too. You look awful. Please do this, for me?" He'd sweetly asked him, which Kagami found hard to refuse. He did need some treatment, at least bandages for the scratches. They were starting to itch, oozing some sort of clear fluid that smelled weird.

Akashi allowed Kasamatsu to come closer to Furihata. Kise stayed a few steps away from him as the older boy took a look at the brunette, his features softened with relief.

The nurse came back shortly, handing a bottle of pills to the doctor. She carried more bandages and medicine supplies with her. One of the nurses eventually approached Kagami and offered to examine him. He'd agreed to it, sitting in one of the empty chairs and letting the nurse do his job.

As the nurse dabbed an alcohol-soaked cotton ball to clean the bleeding, Kagami wondered what Midorima and Takao were doing. They were the only ones weren't present in the room. There were still some of the wounded 'soldiers' they'd left behind, as well. Quite some of them in the East Wing. They should get taken cared of, because Midorima mentioned something about court hearing and remaining innocent victims by preventing too much damages.

"… the bodyguards that you've fought with? What about them?" Akashi said, after Kagami went to speak with him.

"Yeah, well, Midorima said we gotta make sure they're somewhat okay, and not …  _dead_." He tried to explain, clumsily. "Won't make a good case in court, or something like that. Besides, the police is coming over right? They could get away if left alone."

Akashi stared at him with those cold, abnormal pair of eyes, as if judging him from head to toe. They made Kagami feel queasy.

"Fair enough. You have a point. Indeed, we need to clean up this place from scum and filth. What a misfortune it is that we may not do so without completely eradicating those insects." The redhead scrunched his nose in disgust, gaze flashing cold and dark. "Fine, then. We'll capture them, but as for giving medical assistance … let them  _grovel_  and  _beg_  for it." He dismissed.

Damn. Ruthless and arrogant. Kagami was starting to miss the normal Akashi.

At least he wouldn't be leaving those men alone, that was something. Kagami and Murasakibara must've inflicted quite a lot of damage on them to make sure they wouldn't get up to chase them. And the amount of blood spilt there … hopefully, nobody lost much blood. Holding back was a hard task to do, it was so much easier to let loose than it was to control the killer instincts. The beast was too eager to witness violence.

Minutes ticked by, Kuroko hadn't returned from his trip. Kagami was getting uneasy, although he was still being fixed up and prevented from moving — he wanted to go find Kuroko. It only had been around ten minutes, but he was too anxious to let him off of his sight for too long.

"Sorry, can you do this later? I have to go look for my mate." The nurse had shot him a dirty look, which made him feel bad, but Kagami insisted on it. It was pretty ridiculous that he'd have to argue with the nurse regarding his treatment, before his excuses finally made the nurse give up.

As he was getting up, a loud crash emerged into the blank space, echoing throughout the hallways.

On pure instinct, every wereperson in the area traded their human senses to that of their bestial counterpart. Heads turned almost in unison, the moment the loud crash roused the tension.

The nerve ends in Kagami's ears jolted awake as if struck by a surge of electricity — sounds flared into his earshot, increasing in volumes, expanding towards the source of the noise and identifying the commotion with a grim realisation. The silken voice, muffled shout, overlapped by several rougher, deeper ones — another crash emerged, smaller in volume, breakable like glass — it hit the ground, cracked and shattered to pieces, accompanied by minuscule  _clinks_.

" _Kuroko…!_ " He yelled, feeling heat drained out of his body. The others looked at him, eyes widened.

He wasn't thinking. The beast clawed its way out of his psyche and he let himself be taken over. Like a thunder branching from one end and spreading out, his skin pricked with tiny bolts that sprouted the fur from every pore of his body. His eyes burned red hot, the tips of his fingers and feet flared, muscles growing in density — bones cracking and switching. In a fraction of seconds, halfway through the transformation, the full weight of the fatigue hit him.

The damages and the lack of stamina started accumulating, forcing the process into a setback — legs fully transformed but merely a quarter of the top of his body had morphed with underdeveloped arms and torso. He saw his vision blurred, growing murky around the edges. His ears couldn't hear distant sounds anymore, falling to merely half a degree sharper than his normal hearing. Some of the bones and joints started rearranging itself back to human features, and it took what was left of Kagami to stop the regression.

Kagami realised he could no longer use a full wereform without consequences — he was reaching the limit. He wouldn't last long in this form. But he wasn't about to give up. Baring his teeth, Kagami growled and started dashing off, urgency burdened his mind. The urgency to see Kuroko, to know where he was.

"Atsushi. Stay with Kouki and Kasamatsu." He heard Akashi told the titan.

"Senpai, I'll be back soon!"

Before he knew it, he was joined by three of the others. Akashi, Kise and Aomine rushed after him, features turning beastly as they ran alongside Kagami.

Kise started sprouting grey-yellow tufts, especially fluffed at the front, around his neck. His snout elongated like a wolf's. Akashi's red hair became lighter, growing a thick mane. His body was soon covered in short golden brown coat of fur. His eyes became sharper, both switching into golden colour. Meanwhile, jet black fur emerged from Aomine's dark skin, graced with highlights of deep navy blue when light hit his wereform, tracing faint circular patterns.

There were no words exchanged, merely a silent understanding.

The hospital corridors were dark, empty. The alarms were still active, weak-sounding. Kagami didn't hear any crash, and the voices drowned, vanishing. His hearing wasn't as effective anymore, he knew it. The noises left his earshot. He was growing desperate. Eventually, they reached the cafeteria hall, but Kuroko wasn't there.

All they could find, were an empty space and a shattered jar at one corner, near the cashier desk counter. Kagami felt his whole being was growing colder, the body temperature dropping a few degrees. His mind became blank, panic arising from the pit of his stomach. "Someone's been here." He heard Akashi say, stepping to his side. "Ryouta, examine the room. See what you can find. Daiki, come with me to check the corridors. Kagami Taiga, stay with Ryouta."

While Aomine and Akashi went to check the corridors outside of the cafeteria, the wolf immediately went to the crash site, bending over to pick up the pieces of glass and sniffing it. Kagami tried to focus on sharpening his own hearing, drawing what energy he had to sharpen the sense. The result varied, dwindling in quality. He could hear voices but couldn't identify them properly. Not good. He couldn't use it anymore.

 _Kuroko_ , he thought,  _Kuroko, where are you?_

"A drug is used in this. Some sort of sedative." Kise announced, he'd picked up a white handkerchief and took a whiff, before pushing it away from his twitching nose. "Also, There're unknown scents of … five to six people. No, seven. Two of them smelled familiar. Damn, they must've taken Kurokocchi!" The blonde concluded, barking viciously.

 _Sedative_. Kagami repeated the word in his head. Just as he thought the nightmare was about to end, he was flung back into a dark and deep abyss. "We have to find him." He uttered shakily, mind flaring with urgency. The fatigue affected his mind. His heart rate accelerated in a maddening pace, beads of cold sweat started forming on his temples. Too much. The paranoia was invading his sensory input, overloading it.

Kise rose up. "From the scents … they went that way." He pointed a finger at an opened door behind the cashier table, he saw a peek of what looked like a large kitchen, painted in white and furnished with metallic equipments. His nose caught the fragrance of broth and porridge from the opened gap, a gust of cool wind carried it all the way to where they were.

"They took the backdoor!" Kagami yelled, noticing the smell of grass mingling with the fragrance of food.

Just as they were going to check, Akashi and Aomine returned with empty hands. "We didn't find Tetsu back there. Nothing." The blue-haired teen said, scratching his neck in irritation. "What did you guys find?" He asked, he looked like he noticed the looks on their faces.

Kise told them what they found; a drugged handkerchief, the scents of strangers and the opened kitchen door. They'd agreed that was the best bet they had.

"Lead the way, Ryouta." Akashi commanded, to which the wolf obliged and went ahead of the group, tracking the scents with his nose. The rest followed the canine, trusting his ability to perceive the track better than they could.

They went over the cashier table to reach the kitchen. Idly, he noticed the pots of soup were still steaming in the stove and cuts of vegetables were left behind on the counter, halfway butchered. Kagami was shaken up when he'd seen small drops of blood spilt on the floor, creating a small trail towards the gaping exit at the back of the kitchen, rousing a scent too familiar to him. Suddenly, Kagami was reminded of Furihata's beaten up form and Kasamatsu's unconscious, bloodied face, overlapping with that of Kuroko's, eyes closed and complexion pale.

His mind scattered and broke in chaos at the imagery of it. His chest was struck by an ache so deeply stifling, he couldn't seem to breathe properly. An ache hammered into his skull. He could feel his mental strength slipping, reduced to a silent catatonic state. But he knew. Knew it wouldn't help to panic, or to break down — so he swallowed it and mentally gathered himself, with much effort. The burden weighted on his shoulders, carried over his head. He couldn't be weak now. He had to go on. What the others could offer at that moment, were looks of sympathy and a declaration that they would help.

They had no time, so Kagami merely nodded and moved on.

"It's pretty windy, we should go before the scents' blown away." Kise suggested when they were out of the building, outside.

The front gates were surrounded by Akashi's men, so it came to no surprise, that those bastards decided to use the same method Takao and Kagami did to penetrate the West Building. The trail had gone to a dead end, but Kise and Kagami knew better. "They probably went over the walls. Kagamicchi, Kurokocchi and I used the same way to get out of the West Wing. Kagamicchi told us." The wolf explained.

"Impressive. How did you get such an idea?" Akashi said, seemingly genuinely impressed. Aomine looked at the wall and then at Kagami, like he didn't expect Kagami to come up with such an indigenous method. Rude.

"I got help." Kagami said. Damn, they'd already reached the other side. If they didn't hurry, the search area would become too wide too quickly. They wouldn't be able to find Kuroko on time, or at all. "Anyway, let's get going. Give me a boost, Kise."

Trees and thick bushes greeted them as soon as they'd gotten over the walls. Kise asked for a few seconds of break to scan the new territory, nosing the ground on all fours like a wolf he was, a hand scraping the tender soil to sniff it. Kagami took the short break to steady himself and breathe in, gathered his wits and calmed his nerves. He mustn't panic, he told himself. Panicking wouldn't bring him to Kuroko. Losing his shit meant  _failure_.

"… it's my uncle. I knew his scent back in the cafeteria." Aomine told the group, out of the blue. "He must've taken the chance to take Tetsu when we weren't aware … that fucking geezer, he's too sly! I should've known!" He cursed and growled angrily, fists balling tightly at his sides, eyes squeezed shut.

"We lost track of Director Daichi in the woods while we were on the chase. I was distracted because they'd left Kouki behind, I didn't think they'd risk coming back for Tetsuya, knowing we possess a strong backup. This … is the result of my carelessness. I should've told my men to continue the chase while I brought Kouki back to the doctor. This wouldn't happen, otherwise." Akashi sounded guilty, which surprised Kagami. He almost thought the normal Akashi was back, if it wasn't for the casual first name calling.

"I really don't think this is anyone's fault." Kagami sighed, shaking his head. If anything, he too, should've gone with Kuroko despite his insistence. "We know they're aiming for Kuroko from the start, we've all been careless. What we can do now, is get him back."

Akashi heaved a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're right. There's no merit in blaming ourselves. We must compensate for this error in judgement, even should force be necessary to achieve it." He sounded way less crazy than Kagami expected he would. Maybe Furihata really was a good influence on him, even to the more psycho, cruel persona. Curious.

When Kise declared he'd read the trail, they didn't waste time — with everything they had as werepeople, they continued to pursue the escaping captors.

Kagami could feel his thighs were burning, his knees trembling. His vision wasn't as sharp nor clear. He was labouring for breath as he sprinted, it took all the concentration and energy he had, to keep up with the others. His physical body was reaching the limit of its capability due to the exertion, but Kagami refused to go down. Not until he got Kuroko back. Not until everything was truly over. Not until he woke up from this nightmare — It would've been great if it was  _just_  a nightmare.

It was difficult to run on unsteady terrains, with trees and bushes growing in the way of the route. Kagami remembered how the last winter camp ended up with the whole Seirin team playing tag chase on the mountains, to train their muscles how to move flexibly, in the middle of a freezing weather. It was one of the most exhausting training methods he'd ever gone through. His whole body had ached in pain, and he was covered in dirt, scratches and bruises at the end of the day.

Granted, even in raw tiger form, and in the forest that was a natural habitat for his bestial counterpart, Kagami would still be unaccustomed of this sort of environment, as someone born and raised in the city.

 _Keep up, keep up_ , he thought. His focus was directed to one goal.  _Just a bit more._

"We're closing in on them!" Kise announced, fangs bared and nose twitched eagerly. "They're about two to three hundred meters ahead of us!" Kagami instantly switched his attention, gathering concentration to try hear something. He heard something like running water far ahead of them, a river? But not much else. The forest was brimming with various noises including their own, with his condition, it was unlikely for Kagami to get anything more useful.

"Let's ambush them." Akashi suddenly said in mid-sprint, glancing at Kagami and Kise. "You both go on ahead. Daiki and I will split ways and come from another direction."

He took a glance at Kagami and stilled his gaze, as if analysing. "Kagami Taiga. You and Ryouta should not attack first, let us do the initiative assault." He said. "After we break the group apart,  _go in for the kill_."

 _Figuratively._ Kagami mentally added, though he wondered if Akashi really meant it that way. He must've noticed Kagami's dwindling condition and chose the best strategy to deal with the situation. Kagami had to trust him on this. "Got it."

After that, Akashi and Aomine increased their speed and turned to another direction, the leaves rustling and twigs breaking in their wake. Kagami and Kise were left to go with a more stealthy method, assigned for the second assault. Stealth was more difficult when your targets were moving away from you, especially with all the noises they were making when they ran through thickets. Kagami knew there was a river up ahead. He hoped the river was wide and deep enough to halt their movement, even for a short moment. They needed that possibility.

The river turned out to be shallow both in depth and width, but it was located at the bottom of a slope that seemed to be the result of an old landslide, creating a gap of uneven geography that was deep enough to force the group of captors to stop on their track, and reconsider the route. After they'd found the group, Kagami and Kise hid behind some thick bushes a little far away from them, waiting for the signal from the other team.

He caught a glimpse of his mate's listless form, flung over the shoulder of a large man — the bear Murasakibara fought with. The Director was also there, lacking of his white coat and sporting a more disheveled appearance. Kagami could feel the rage frying the top of his head, blood boiled in his veins. An unspeakable hatred he felt for that man who was the source of all of this — who'd taken Kuroko from him, again and  _again_. He was ready to jump out of his hiding place — only for Kise to hold him back by the shoulders.

" _Sshh!_  Kagamicchi!  _Stay down!_  I know how you feel, but Akashicchi said we have to wait for him!" The blonde wolf reasoned with him, pinning his arms from behind.

Kagami begrudgingly obliged. He wasn't in a prime condition to get reckless, so the mindless fit of fury method wouldn't work. He hated the fact that he was prevented from taking Kuroko back when he was just right  _there_ , due to his own physical limitation. It couldn't be helped. He would watch closely, for now, no matter how impatient he'd become as he observed the group of captors, now derailing from the route to take a different one. But still he waited. With Kise alongside him, eyes fixated at them.

He seemed as impatient as Kagami, although he handled it better that he did. He wondered if Kuroko's punch really did have an effect on the blonde, Kise was much calmer now even in this kind of situation. His mate seemed to have such strange effects on other people, like that.

When the signal did come, neither Kagami or Kise expected that five werepeople would swarm in out of nowhere, leaping from the top of the trees and assaulting the group of captors in a moment's notice. Both him and Kise were dumbstruck. It took him three seconds to recognise Akashi and Aomine in the mix, accompanied by three reinforcements — this way they were on equal size, number of people wise, should Kagami and Kise join the fray.

The group of captors was completely caught in surprise. The tight cluster was broken in just a few seconds into the first assault, because they were late in reacting with their own bestial transformations, which resulted more damage than if they were assaulted by normal, fair means. But there was no rule in a brawl — " _anything goes"_.

"Wow! That's fucking awesome!" Kise yelled in excitement with eyes glimmered brightly, fist-pumping. He looked unusually eager for someone who normally disliked the idea of conflict. The  _wolf_  must be affecting his judgement.

Kagami licked his lips.  _Finally_. "Let's go in."

Before he left, he closed his eyes and drew in several deep, deep breaths.

He channeled the remaining supply of stamina he could afford, in order to fully transform one more time. He was stretched to the limits, beyond the physical capability of his yet to be fully developed body. He pushed past it, exhausting every last drop of what he had. The beast within him roared, granting him its approval. His determination pleased the tiger. In a short moment, he was able to maintain a full transformation.

His concentration level had been elevated to that of equal ground with the Zone. Something he didn't think he could achieve outside of the basketball court. He used it to dull the nerves, lessen the pain and steel his resolve, for as long as possible.

 _Take him back. Take my mate back._  He needed no further reason.

He would only last for five minutes max. in this form, he'd have to make it count. Kise was already baring his fangs and flexed his claws. "Whenever you're ready, Kagamicchi." He barked, grinning toothily. Kagami was ready. They jumped out of their hiding, straight into the fray of battling beasts.

It was a blur of chaos, once the opponents started transforming. Animalistic roars and growls echoed in the air, the sounds of claws tearing flesh, of someone overwhelmed and pounded into the ground, screaming loudly — scaring off the smaller critters around the area. Kagami dashed straight at the bear. When the large man was distracted by another werebeast, Kagami attempted to take Kuroko from him, powerful legs brought him up in the air with a kick to the grounds, leaping at him. His sight was locked onto his arms, fully intended to claw through it to make him let go.

However, the bear noticed him at last minute, stepping out of the line of fire with a quick jerk. Kagami grinned. This time, he wasn't alone. Kise attacked from another side, aiming for the back of his knee, one powerful kick to bring him down. The strike was sudden enough for the bear with a load over his shoulder, to react slower with the second assault; he lost his balance and fell to his knees. Thankfully he hadn't let go of Kuroko, thus preventing him from slipping off of his shoulder.

Kagami moved fast, wanting to take him on this time — but he was blocked by another werebeast who'd forced him to stop on his track. He cursed under his breath. Kise was also momentarily stopped by another werebeast. The few seconds into the failure, the bear had risen again, standing tall. He patted the dusts off of his lap. Apparently he wasn't alone either. Fuck.

"Why are you still standing so high and mighty? Mongrels should be  _on their knees_."

He wasn't aware when Akashi had stepped to his side — releasing a dark hostile aura. Kagami was stunned.

There was something else, Akashi was releasing some sort of pheromone — something that caused Kagami to get lightheaded, his legs growing weak, quivering. He felt compelled to stand down, struck by an inexplicable urge to do so, if not for the fact that he was fully concentrating to dull and limit sensory input, he would've done so. But he managed to resist it. Kagami took a glance at the werebeast who was blocking his way, and realised what it was. The werebeast had fallen to his knees, just as what Akashi had told him to. He had a dazed, blank look on his face.

Kagami gulped. This was an ability unique to certain Heavy Seed species, an Alpha with the capability of making anyone submit to him. A lion's charisma. Even among Heavy Seeds, Kagami had never seen anyone use it so effectively, in person. A young lion shouldn't have gained enough experience to warrant the activation of such an ability. Usually, only adult Heavy Seeds possessed such a thing. He'd only heard a little from Kuroko how strict his household was on Akashi, but to reach such an extant in such a young age. Exceptional.

"Yes. Know your place." Akashi chuckled darkly. The werebeast seemed struck with a need to please the lion, grinning toothily and nodding along. Creepy.

"Kagami Taiga, I'll leave that one to you and Ryouta." He continued, glancing at the giant bear. "I need to speak with  _Former_  Director Daichi." Behind them, Director Daichi had transformed into his black panther wereform, currently engaged with Aomine. Two black panthers from different generations were battling each other, exchanging blows.

Kagami nodded. "Okay. Thanks for the help."

Akashi gave him what looked like a smirk, then crooked a finger at the enthralled werebeast, who stood up to follow him. The lion gave him one hit to the back of the head, and he keeled over, fainted. It seemed that Kise was able to handle things on his side, too. The wolf nodded to him, and he nodded back. They circled around the bear, whom Kagami knew had suffered quite a lot of damage from his fight with Murasakibara. From the thick smell of blood he was giving off, and the odd sounds his joints were making. He might have several cracked ribs, at least.

He hadn't even fully transformed yet, either. They should take this chance. Kagami counted the time limit. Three minutes left before he'd start losing focus and the control over his body along with it. He couldn't afford to waste it.

He inhaled, a drop of sweat beaded down his face, falling to a blade of grass near his feet. The wind changed direction, and Kagami leaped, claws shredding the leaves of the grass as they dug into the soil, kicking it off. The grains of soil scattered in the air, the noises of the fight continued. The ground shook each time someone fell with a heavy thump. The smell of fresh blood began to taint the fragrance of the nature, the men on the enemy's side were brought down, one by one.

Kagami aimed for his arms, while Kise aimed for the legs.

The wolf connected his strike first, his elbows linked to the back of the bear's kneecaps. With a loud, pained roar, the bear's whole being shuddered. He attempted to move, but his legs gave away faster than he could achieve the goal, forcing him to the grounds. Down. Kagami's claws were spread and ready to rip a hole on him. At the pivotal moment, his sight caught the infuriated look on the bear's face. When he was merely several feet away in the air, the bear grabbed Kuroko by the back of his shirt and flung him at Kagami.

His eyes widened, yet he didn't rule out the possibility given the previous incident with Kasamatsu, Kagami changed his stance in mid-air, arms spread to catch him. It was stupid to think how beautiful Kuroko's hair smelled to him at the moment he got to embrace Kuroko again, gently wrapping his arms around him. But he couldn't help himself.

Knowing what would happen next, Kagami immediately turned, his back was now facing the bear — and let the bear's claws sink into his flesh.

He bit back a scream. The pain was hard to block, the wounds went a little deeper than he'd expected. The smell of iron reached his nostrils, and the impact of the hit propelled him towards the other direction. Just before he fell, he switched position again, back facing down and Kuroko facing up. The moment he hit the ground, the rough terrain dug onto his wounded back mercilessly, sands and minuscule stones getting into the tender flesh, scraping against it, tearing.

Kagami sucked in the air, laboriously. He was breaking in cold sweat. He couldn't think of how much time he'd spent with that, but he was beginning to lose focus. Kagami lost the transformation, rapidly returning back to a human form. When he did, the sensation of pain, the exertion in the muscles, the intense headache and everything else started overloading his senses, drilling into his skull. He could feel his heart rate going through the roof, the surface of his skin was icy cold yet the inside of his body was burning hot. His back felt as if it was being branded.

"Shit. It fucking hurts … motherfucker." He cursed. Painful. So painful. It burned. Everything  _hurt_.

"Kagami… kun…?" He opened his eyes, to see Kuroko's face right in front of him, looking at him with blue eyes flickering between closing and opening. His gaze seemed unfocused, heavy. He didn't seem to be injured, but smelled a little of blood. He was glad. "Is that you?" Kuroko asked, weakly.

"It's me." Kagami whispered. He brought a hand up to caress his head. "We're going … home. Kuroko. It'll be… fine."

Kise was still facing off with the bear, looking unusually angry. Just as Kagami wondered, he heard the wolf yelled something like, " — I know you did it! I won't forgive you!" He didn't know what to make of that, as his consciousness was slipping. His eyes felt so heavy. He turned his gaze and saw Akashi and his men had finished off the rest of the Director's army, and Aomine — Aomine was punching his uncle to the ground, shouting angrily at him. Right then, Kagami knew at least Kuroko would be safe, even if he couldn't move anymore.

He felt so tired.

He had Kuroko in his arms, he couldn't be happier. Only he could make Kagami … so very happy. As if the pain had flown off somewhere far away. Kagami used the last remaining strength he had to lean in and kiss Kuroko. "I'll tell you again, that I love you — when we get home." He whispered, coughing a bit. He grinned at him. "This time, I'll make it right."

Kuroko smiled. "I'd like that." He murmured, lying his head on Kagami's chest. "Take me home, Taiga-kun."

From a distance, he could hear siren. Many of them, overlapping each other. The noises blared into the peaceful landscape, drowning everything else. The police had come, finally. He took a look at Akashi, who was speaking to Aomine's uncle, now back to their human forms, Kagami couldn't catch what he was saying, other than the last sentence; " … it's over. Give it up."

That was all he wanted to hear. Kagami closed his eyes and let his consciousness left him.

—

Kuroko had a moment of panic when Kagami started transforming into the form of a tiger.

He brushed away the lingering drowsiness, clenching his palm around the piece of shard he'd taken before. The sharp edges cut through the skin, into the flesh. The pain kept him awake, driving off the effects of the sedative. Drops of blood trickled down the balled fist, then he tossed the shard away.

Kuroko shakily gathered the tiger's head onto his lap, cradling him close. He noticed the wounds on Kagami's back kept bleeding profusely. He felt himself growing cold, stiff with fear. He had to stop it, he thought. Stop the blood, treat the wounds. But with what? How? Kuroko's mind went blank. There was  _so much blood_. The smell of iron roused his anxiety, elevating it with an alarming pace. Kuroko tried to carry him, but he couldn't lift Kagami by himself. He was too weak, too small.  _So much blood._

"Kagami-kun… somebody!" He whipped his head around, horrified, parched throat quivered as he shouted, desperation tinged his tone. "Somebody, please help!"

Akashi and Aomine heard him, both turned their heads towards Kuroko at the call of distress. Kuroko shot them a pleading look and yelled again, his lungs growing dry. He must've looked terrified, because Aomine dashed off at once. Akashi was busy apprehending the men who'd captured him, but tossed them a few glances. The assailants were still putting up a fight, trying to escape at the blares of siren that were sounding closer and closer.

Kuroko had been aware there had been a fight, but he was half-conscious most of the time, too sedated to move or do anything significant. There were traces of a battle all around him. People fallen on the ground, beaten unconscious. Blood splattered on the grass and trees. He could smell the iron in the air, mixed with wet grass and soil. And before he knew it, Kagami was badly injured, bleeding in his arms.

"Tetsu!? What's wrong!?"

Aomine took a look at the listless tiger and the blood that stained the fur along his spines, pooling on the hardened soil. Dark blue eyes grew wide.

"Kagami…? Shit! Akashi, call for ambulance, quick!" He yelled, fangs were still sharpened. "Tetsu, I'll go fetch something from the hospital and get some help. Wait here." He said, shifting into his wereform and rushing off at once. Akashi looked calm. He spoke to one of his men, who then chased after Aomine, presumably back to the hospital.

Kise came to him a moment later, the wolf's torso was full of blotches of red, but he seemed uninjured. "Kurokocchi? What happened? Kagamicchi … " The wolf looked at the tiger. He immediately knew, face scrunching in fury. "That bastard! I should've finished him off earlier!" He barked out, throwing a hateful glare at the massive man, who was now sprawled immobile behind him. Kise had done a number on him.

The wolf came to Kuroko's side and hugged him soothingly. "It's gonna be okay, Kurokocchi. Help's gonna come — oh shit, sorry, now your shirt's all messed up!" Too late, Kuroko's white shirt was now dirty, the red sticky fluid spread over the white fabric. Kise bumbled an apology, ashamed of his apparent clumsiness.

Kuroko looked at the stain on his shirt, an idea came to him.

"Kise-kun, please rip off my shirt." When Kise tossed him a blank look, he added. "I'm going to use it for the wounds."

As he'd requested, after he'd taken off his shirt, Kise made long rips on the fabric. He turned it into stringy pieces of cloth that resembled makeshift bandages. Kuroko then asked him to lift Kagami up slightly, gently, which was hard to do because he was much heavier in his tiger form. But Kise in his wereform managed to do achieve the goal, he kept the tiger lifted up over his knees as Kuroko wrapped the bandages around the wounded area. When he ran out of the makeshift bandages, he took off his jeans and asked Kise to dismantle it again.

The jeans were thicker, so he used it as a patch to press the wound, while the shirt acted as ribbons to tie around the tiger's torso, straining tightly around it.

When he was done, the blood started seeping through the meagre treatment he'd constructed. Kuroko tried to press both hands over the wound, applying pressure. When that wasn't enough, he used the front of his naked body to press against Kagami's back, embracing him tightly to prevent the blood loss. Kagami's blood covered his skin, his face, torso and hands were all bloody. But he didn't care. He ignored the feeling of cold air on his back, only the warmth of Kagami's body reached him, into the depths of his heart. That was all he needed.

"Kagami-kun, please hold on." Kuroko begged, biting back a sob — couldn't hold back the tears from flowing out, dripping down his cheeks and wetting the patch of fur. He nuzzled against the tiger's body, head resting on his side. "Don't leave me…"

Kise was quiet. He stayed by his side and comforted him.

After a while, Akashi approached them after he was done with the rest of the hostile group. There were more people around now, more reinforcements. Some of which were uniformed policemen. They handled the criminals, shackling their wrists with steel handcuffs and forcing them to go with them. The unconscious ones were carried off to somewhere else.

"Tetsuya, the doctor will arrive soon." He told them. "Daiki called the ambulance, they'll be here shortly. The main road isn't too far. They'll treat him on the way to the hospital."

Kuroko only nodded, and uttered a thank you.

The doctor came in around five minutes later, they brought a large stretcher with them, carried by two tall foreign men. Aomine was with them, back into human form and was clothed. They persuaded him to let go of Kagami and let the doctor take a look at him. He agreed. A staff gave him a blanket to cover himself with. They gave one to Kise as well, once he returned to human form. Kuroko watched as Kagami was slowly moved to the stretcher, still too heavy with only two men, another pair came to carry the tiger. The doctor left with them, instructing the men to be careful.

Kuroko insisted on following them. But he wasn't allowed to get into the ambulance car because the doctor and nurses were going to perform emergency first aid. Kagami's vitals were weakening. The size of his animal form didn't allow space for another person in the car, either. Disheartened, Akashi invited him to use his car instead, along with Kise and Aomine. They were given fresh sets of clothes before getting into the car. Kagami's blood on him had dried, sticking to Kuroko's skin. Unless he showered, he wouldn't be able to clean it off completely.

Kise held him by the shoulder all the while, offering comfort. While Aomine, in his own way, attempted to convince him the doctor was a good one and that Kagami would be okay. He was grateful of the concern, although it didn't disperse his fear and worry as much as he'd hoped it to. Akashi sat at the front seat, he was on the phone, chatting about something seemingly important.

"… Former Director Daichi is being brought back to Tokyo, along with his men, to be interrogated. An investigation on the evidence we've sent them will be commenced shortly." Akashi told them. "I've informed Director Daisuke about this, he's said he'd like to talk with him. He's also asked me about you, Daiki. He'd like to speak with you as well. I can lend you a car if you want to return to Tokyo."

Aomine glanced at Kuroko, holding his stare. "I'll go later. There's something I want to take care of at the hospital."

It only took a short moment to reach the hospital.

The ambulance arrived earlier. Kagami was already wheeled to the ED section, and into a surgery room, while they waited outside at the darkened corridor. The electricity was still out, they wouldn't be able to use the proper tools, safe for emergency lamps. Kuroko's fears grew worse, what if they couldn't treat Kagami properly? What if he'd get worse? He couldn't help but to think of so many bad possibilities.

"They just need to clean him and close the wounds. They'd stitch him up, then give him some sedatives, maybe a blood transfusion. It's not a complicated procedure. Don't worry, Tetsu." Aomine told him, scratching his head. It was an attempt to calm him down. " … after this though, we might need to transfer him to another hospital, just in case. For now, it's the first aid."

"I'll take care of it." Akashi declared boldly, eyebrows knitted together. "Kouki needs to rest in a proper location. I will arrange the rooms for the others, as well."

The last bit made Kise happy — he cheerfully thanked Akashi for it. Later on, the blonde wanted to leave to seek Kasamatsu. He asked Kuroko if he wanted to go with him, which the latter refused. He'd stay until they were done treating Kagami, so he told Kise to go ahead. Only Akashi and Aomine were left behind to accompany him. They sat on the bench outside of the surgery room. The minutes ticked by cruelly for Kuroko, as he waited for any news.

The whole place was too silent, dark and the anxiety was choking him. Kuroko couldn't stop praying in his mind, hands clasped together and fingers laced.  _Please, be alright. Please._  He wordlessly prayed, from the bottom of his heart.

Around forty minutes later, the doctor came out of the surgery room.

"The lacerations are fairly clean. It's a good thing that it's not infected. I've applied antiseptic and stitched them up, for the time being. He's lost a bit of blood, however. We'd need to perform a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, the bags in the cooling room are unusable due to the power cut. We must get him to another hospital with a fresh supply." The doctor announced. "I've administered anaesthesia into his system. He's asleep now. You may see him, if you want."

He didn't need to be told twice. As soon as they brought Kagami out on a wheeled bed, Kuroko rushed to his side. He was no longer in the form of a tiger, now a human being. His torso, arms and face were bandaged up. His complexion was pale, the bruises discoloured several spots over his features. The sight made his heart ache.

"Kagami-kun…" Kuroko whispered mournfully, brushing a hand over his face. Just as he did so, Aomine grabbed his wrist and brought it up.

"What? You're bleeding." He pointed out. He stared at the dried, encrusted blood on Kuroko's palm. The result of gripping a shard of glass in his hand, for a long time. Aomine furrowed his eyebrows. "When did this happen? There're a lot of cuts here!"

" … I did that. To stay awake from the sedative." Kuroko pulled his hand back, gaze lowered to look at Kagami, he was wearing an oxygen mask with two metallic tanks attached to the bottom side of the bed. What he suffered was nothing compared to what Kagami went through for him. "I was thinking of escaping when they weren't looking, but it wasn't necessary. Not anymore."

Aomine stared at him blankly, face unreadable. " … get those bandaged up before we go." He told him in a demanding tone. "I'll go get the ambulance ready. You wait with the others. Akashi, are you staying with them?"

"I need to check up on Kouki. I'll contact you soon, Daiki." The redhead stated.

As advised, Kuroko had his hand bandaged before they left to where the rest of the guys were. Midorima and Takao were present in the lobby of the Centre Building. The former looked a lot less tidy than he usually was, one of the lenses of his glasses was cracked, his hair messy. Takao seemed less energetic and uncharacteristically quiet, standing to his right. All of their friends lifted their heads when they entered the room. Furihata was awake now, although he was detained from sitting up by a nurse, the moment Kuroko and the others showed up. A pair of brown eyes glanced at them anxiously, questioning.

Akashi immediately went over to Furihata, while Kasamatsu approached Kuroko.

"I heard from Kise. Are you alright?" He asked, worried. Kuroko smiled shakily, and glimpsed at Kagami's unconscious form. The older boy followed his line of sight and frowned.

"I'm not hurt. Kagami-kun… protected me." Kuroko uttered, he'd sounded weaker than he'd intended.

"The doctor said he'd need a blood transfusion. He'll have to go to another hospital for that. Furihata-kun, too. Is he okay?" He turned to see the brunette who was lying on a bed a little far from them, still attempting to get up. The nurse looked annoyed and told him to stay still. But immediately shut up after Akashi threw her a glare. The redhead drove the nurse away with his cold demeanour, earning the full attention of a very nervous Furihata.

"Furihata is alright. He woke up some time ago — your hand." Kasamatsu took a hold of his bandaged hand, the creases between his eyebrows deepened.

As Kasamatsu fussed over him, the ambulance cars were called in, parked at the front of the building. There were several other cars as well, tailing behind the ambulance. Kagami and Furihata would be carried into the ambulance cars, while the rest of them would use the normal cars. They were all eager to leave the institution safely. Those who'd spent days upon days in captive, could finally heave a relieved sigh. Furihata looked very happy.

"We can go home." He breathed out, colours returning to his cheeks as he looked up at Kuroko. "I'm so glad, Kuroko. We'll go to school again, and then we'll meet the team! The coach, captain —  _everyone_. My bro, it's been so long since I saw his mug. I can't wait." He had bright sparkles in his eyes as he said those words.

Kuroko smiled. "Yes, Furihata-kun. I'm happy, too."

"Kouki, you will need to receive treatments before you may be released home." Akashi suddenly said, he brought a hand to caress Furihata's face. "Do not worry about the fees; I will take care of it, for you."

The brunette flushed at the intimate contact, shying away from his touch. "I, uh, thank you. Akashi. Um, you don't have to do that, but thank you for the trouble. I think I'm gonna be alright, though … I - I don't want to be a problem."

"Nonsense. It is no trouble. I will  _crush_  those who claim you're a problem to me." The redhead dismissed, dichromatic eyes shone dangerously.

The brunette's complexion instantly paled. "Eh!? No, you don't need to do that! Please say you're j-joking?"

"… I'm joking." Akashi said, in a completely bland tone. He didn't sound like he was joking at all.

Well, unexpectedly they got along well. Kuroko thought. He didn't want to ruin the celebration mood, or got in the way of this Akashi. It would simply be too risky. Kuroko walked ahead to be closer to Kagami, as the staff wheeled him towards the entrance. Kasamatsu and Kise were walking close by. Kagami had said the older boy suffered some damages that might pose a risk to the pregnancy, yet all Kasamatsu had been doing was worry about someone else.

"Yes, I need to check up with a gynaecologist. The one Aomine called here isn't specialised in the department, and said we need to use proper equipments to see if there is any problem with the baby. It's not possible to do here, with the power outage" Kasamatsu told him. His voice was stiff and slightly shaky. "And I do need to … figure out how to explain this to my family. We've been missing for a good number of days, and the pregnancy, as well."

"I'll be with you, Senpai. We'll do it together" Kise said, squeezing Kasamatsu's hand. The older boy gave a troubled smile to the blonde. The slight furrow between his eyebrows told another story.

Midorima and Takao looked slightly off. They weren't talking to each other, for once, although they still walked side by side. The bespectacled teen kept throwing glances at the shorter boy, who seemed bent on looking at anywhere else but his lover, his gaze was blank. Kuroko wondered what happened between them. They were at the last row behind the group, so maybe Midorima thought nobody was paying attention when he leaned down, whispered something and pressed a kiss on Takao's cheek.

Takao's eyes widened, immediately turned his head to look at Midorima, who was now blushing very darkly, since the next second after he'd kissed Takao, his gaze met Kuroko's. He was ashamed he'd been caught red-handed. Takao seemed really delighted though, he melted right off and threw his arms around the taller teen's neck, pulling him down to kiss him on the mouth. Midorima let out sputtered, surprised noises, nearly tripping on his feet. Kuroko felt his cheeks heated up, then he turned away. He shouldn't be peeking at the lovebirds' intimate moment.

"Tetsu, you can go with Kagami." Aomine said, after they'd loaded him into the car.

A nurse was already inside, adjusting the mask for the redhead and setting up the oxygen tubes. Kuroko nodded, then climbed up the vehicle. He glanced at Aomine and the others, Furihata was already brought into the ambulance behind the one he was in. Akashi climbed along after the brunette, while Kise and Kasamatsu took one of the cars. Midorima and Takao headed for another car. Murasakibara seemed to occupy one car by himself. He didn't get to see more as the doors of the ambulance were closing, and the engine of the car shivered.

He sat on the bench across of the nurse, a hand reached out to grasp Kagami's. He leaned closer, whispering to his ear. He knew Kagami wouldn't be able to hear him, but he wanted to say it. "Kagami-kun, we're going home."

—

TBC.

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aftermath chapter is next!


	18. What Comes Next

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh whoa, very sorry for the wait! I've gotten messages from people wanting updates on BC. :O Not that I'm intentionally being sadistic, I've just been busier nowadays what with family stuff, work stuff and preparation for new school stuff (in fact, I'm afraid my potato couch, super-fast-updating days would be over soon). Also the bit with being uninspired lately. Anyhow, enough ramblings, I'm sure y'all want the new chapter! Here ya go.
> 
> … and prepare yourself. We're gonna be on the last bumpy ride.

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 18: What Comes Next

—

"It will scar." The doctor informed him, jotting down scribbles into a note.

Kuroko inhaled sharply, knowing the news would come. He'd expected it, somehow. Wounds that ran that deeply and bled so much, wouldn't heal so easily. He winced when he tried to clench the injured hand, glancing at it. A little blood stained the white fabric. The flesh was tender red and swollen, enclosed by a new set of bandages. He briefly mused whether the cuts on his palm would scar too?

As he thought of it, the doctor resumed his instruction.

"Keep the sutures dry for at least 24 hours — we'll provide you a protective dressing for bathing purposes, the bandages will be replaced regularly to air out the wounds. And … to reduce infection and promote healing, you may apply an antibiotic ointment, daily. It'll take over 3 weeks for new tissues to regrow, so make sure he's not doing any overexerting activity in the mean time. He should be able to go home in about a week, however, make sure he spends some time of constant resting. Remember: No exerting activity. The wounds will itch, tell him not to scratch them. And, do not pick the scabs."

No basketball practice. Kagami wouldn't be happy about that, Kuroko mused. He gazed at the sleeping form of his mate. "I understand." He nodded, mentally noting the instructions for later, when Kagami would be awake. He needed someone to take care of him during his recovery. "About the ointment — where can I get it? Do I need to purchase it?" He asked, pausing with a strained throat. He realised he had no money on him.

The doctor smiled at him. "You can get the ointment and the medicine from the pharmacy downstairs, I will give you the prescriptions — don't worry about the fee, everything's been paid."

Kuroko blinked. Was it Akashi? He didn't feel comfortable with how much he owed the redhead. Kuroko momentarily glanced towards the direction of the bed across of them, where Furihata was being tended to by a nurse — the redhead was absent from the bedside, having told Kuroko he had to settle some business with the hospital accommodations. He idly wondered how the others were? They were scattered soon after they reached the hospital, located in Tokyo, divided into separate patient rooms.

He had refused to have a room since he didn't suffer serious injuries, after he was offered for it. He'd opted to stay in Kagami and Furihata's room to look after them, at least until Furihata's family came for him. They weren't allowed to go home until they had done with their checkups. Kuroko had his checkup done in a short time. He was given antibiotics for his injuries and some pills by the doctor — that were specifically meant to accelerate the lifespan of the parasite, it'd die off in about 4 to 5 days of daily consumption.

So, they were like birth control pills. He didn't know they existed.

The doctor gave him the prescription notes, before he left the room with the nurse. He'd asked for Furihata's notes as well, as Kuroko figured he could fetch his portion, on the way to get Kagami's medicines.

Kagami was sleeping, the veins on his left arm was hooked to a line of tubes that connected him to a bag of blood, hung to a steel pole by the bed. The anaesthesia would start to wear off in two hours or so, the doctor told him. Kuroko had plenty of time to go get the necessary medications, maybe even get something to eat for the both of them, and for himself.

Kuroko ran a hand over Kagami's forehead, brushing away several matted strands of hair from his face. He complexion was pale, thick eyebrows knitted together and he was frowning. He seemed to be in pain, despite the painkiller that was administered via needle shot. His temperature was higher than normal — he would have a fever, Kuroko recalled the doctor mentioned it. Maybe he could get something to lessen it.

Deciding what he should do next, Kuroko folded the notes neatly and stuffed them into his pocket. Then he turned towards Furihata. "Furihata-kun? I'm going to the pharmacy downstairs. I'll get yours, too. Would you like to get anything?"

The brunette was heavy-lidded, his head nodding off — seemingly dazed. It occurred to Kuroko that the nurse must've given him some of the medicines, already. His reaction was rather slow, lifting his jaw suddenly as if surprised. "Huh…? Oh yeah, thank you, Kuroko. No, I don't need anything." He said, but his words sounded slightly slurred. "I'll be… I'll be here. I'll be watching … Kagami."

Kuroko smiled. "Furihata-kun, you may go to sleep it you wish to. Kagami-kun is also sleeping, I don't think he needs to be watched."

Meanwhile, Furihata was nodding off, his eyes fluttering open and close. He was only a minute away from falling asleep. "… m'kay."

He took a glance at the redhead, once more, leaning down to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back soon." Kuroko whispered, amused when Kagami suddenly grunted in his sleep, as if replying to him. He tucked him in and made sure Kagami was all settled, before leaving.

As he left the room, Kuroko saw Murasakibara was standing by the window on the other side of the corridor, speaking with someone. The purple-haired giant had bandages all over him, over his arms and neck, then around his head. His face was decorated in scratches and small bruises. He'd fought a lot of bodyguards back in the institution. Instead of resting, he was standing straight like it was nothing. It was simply very impressive, it was frightening.

"Murasakibara-kun — " Kuroko approached him, wanted to greet. He quickly paused when he heard a loud smack echoed in the hallway and Murasakibara's face turned to his right, a foreign hand had slapped him across the face, the person was concealed behind Murasakibara's broad back. Kuroko's voice was caught in his throat.

"Why the hell didn't you contact me!? I was worried to death! You could've at least told me what's going on! I had to find out from someone else, what happened to you and Taiga!"

He realised the voice sounded familiar, Kuroko scooted to his right to get a better look. And he was right, it was actually Himuro, standing there with an angry expression on his face. His hand withdrew. Murasakibara shrugged his shoulders and turned to face the older teen, silent.

"Aren't you going to say something, Atsushi? Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused by disappearing like that? _Look at you!_  The next time I see you, you are beaten up by some strangers! How was I supposed to feel!? Have you ever stopped to consider that?" Despite his anger, worry was clearly displayed in his demeanour; Himuro's eyes were glazed wet, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. Then he looked away, a curtain of jet black hair concealed his features.

"I can't say any excuse, because you'll be mad anyway. Muro-chin." Murasakibara said, his tone muted. "Aka-chin said I should come if I wanted to help my friends, so I did. Sorry I didn't call." He paused. "Don't cry, Muro-chin. I hate to see you cry."

"I'm not crying. You idiot! Making me worry like that…"

Murasakibara stepped forward, awkwardly wrapping his arms around Himuro, who was quite a bit shorter than him, forcing Murasakibara to bend his back. He patted his back gently, as if soothing a crying child. Himuro stubbornly refused to budge, although Kuroko could see his posture softened up by the hug.

Kuroko left the scene discreetly, as he wasn't supposed to intrude in their private business.

Himuro was very early, Kuroko thought. Supposedly Yosen Academy was hours away even with a bullet train, did he personally come to Tokyo to seek Murasakibara? Indeed, they'd been missing for a number of days, it wouldn't be surprising that everyone they knew would be panicking. Kuroko thought he should quickly contact his own parents, as well as the Seirin team. They must've been very worried.

He'd have to ask someone whether there was a phone he could use to call home. Keeping this in mind, Kuroko strode along the hospital corridor.

Unlike the other hospital, this one was smaller and much more crowded. He kept seeing other patients and their family members scattered across the building, as well as the nurses and staff. It was much easier to navigate through the building. A public hospital. It smelled thickly of medicine and various kinds of sickness, but the atmosphere was significantly different. More lively, normal. There were no figures in black in the hollowed hallways.

Maybe because he was no longer in captive, he was less wary.

However the smell, the familiar white walls and the identical corridors, they made Kuroko's stomach clench in the most unpleasant way. He expected someone in black suit would be waiting for him when he turned to a corner. Even now, his mind and body remembered the caution, the cold sense of danger and the oppression. The vestiges of adrenaline rushed in his veins, averting him from an exhausted state of mind. Still alerted, aware. He couldn't bring himself to rest, just yet, until it subsided.

He'd tried to convince himself it would be fine — he wasn't in that place anymore anymore. Kuroko needn't to turn his head around to see if he was being followed, every several minutes or so. It was difficult. It would take time for him to adjust to normalcy again and for his survival instincts to calm down. Kuroko would much prefer to leave for home, but he would bear with it in the mean time, until Kagami was well enough to leave, or until he was sure Kagami was fine on his own.

One step closer to home, he reminded himself. One step closer to the goal.

Kuroko had stopped for a while to read the directory map in the elevator area, when a familiar voice shouted his name.

"Tetsu-kun!"

He turned to see a head of flowing pink hair bouncing in the air as Momoi ran towards him with arms spread, soon engulfing him in her signature hug. Kuroko blinked, surprised, before he regained himself and patted Momoi's back. He noticed Aomine was walking towards them from behind the pink-haired, the bandages he wore contrasted with his dark skin.

"Good evening, Momoi-san and Aomine-kun. It's good to see you." Kuroko greeted, as Momoi let him go.

"Tetsu-kun, I heard from Dai-chan. Oh, you poor thing! Your face is injured!" She exclaimed, bringing a hand to Kuroko's face to take a look at him. While Kuroko didn't suffer any significant injuries, he did have plenty of flesh wounds and grazes all over, some more prominent than the others. The nurses had treated the wounds, put band-aids and plasters on him, for the bigger ones. There were more than a few scratches on his face, it looked worse than it actually was.

"I'm alright, Momoi-san, it's just a scratch. It doesn't hurt." He smiled and assured the fretting girl, holding her hand in a friendly gesture. She looked like she was ready to burst into tears, and Kuroko would really not prefer to make a girl cry. In response, Momoi hugged him again, sniffling.

"It's been terrible for you, I'm so sorry Tetsu-kun. I wished I could go to where you and Kagamin were, but Dai-chan said it was too dangerous…" She sobbed into his shoulder.

Aomine stood near them, placing a hand over her head and sighing. His eyes were unusually gentle as he gazed at her. "It  _was_  dangerous, Satsuki. Have you seen how we all turned out? Things could've been worse if you'd gone, you'd probably bawl and hide in a closet somewhere. You'd be a nuisance." He told her. Although his tone was lazy and teasing, his expression didn't match what he said.

Momoi withdrew and whipped her head to him, glaring with tearful eyes. "Dai-chan you idiot! Insensitive ganguro! I was worried about you too! You came back with so many … so many…" She sobbed, covering her mouth with one hand and head hanging down. Tears started spilling from her eyes, pouring in streams. Aomine paled and stiffened, visibly growing panicked.

"Aah, Aomine-kun, you've made Momoi-san cry again. What a jerk." Kuroko deadpanned, shooting the other teen a disappointed look and attempting to comfort her.

"Wh - why are you crying? Satsuki, I'm okay! Look!" Aomine brusquely grabbed her shoulders and made her face him. He was unconvincing with all those bandages and raw bruises, hard lines appeared above his eyebrows.

Momoi sniffled, staring up at him. "You're all beaten up." She pointed out, wiping her cheeks. "You told me you wouldn't get hurt, that there's no way they could beat you. Liar."

The taller boy cringed. " _Ugh_. The point is, I'm still standing so that counts."

"Dai-chan you brag too much! And you were such a crybaby when we were a little … hmph." Momoi remained unimpressed. Although her tears had stopped, and she was no longer crying.

"… what's that gotta do with this? God, Satsuki. You're not supposed to spread that around!"

"You're so lame, Dai-chan." Momoi giggled, her expression lit up considerably. Kuroko was amazed by the changes, maybe Aomine had matured a little bit. Momoi was back to her usual cheerful self, although he noticed she looked more tired than usual, dark shades were apparent under her eyes, which were actually puffier and redder than he'd expected. They were swollen slightly, red with flush. Her hair was slightly untidy, her face was bare and she seemed lethargic. Not at all looked like her usual, meticulously cared self.

"Tetsu-kun, how are Kagamin and Furihata-kun? Are they alright?" Her question drew his attention from her appearances. She smiled. Behind her, Aomine heaved a deep sigh, scratching his head.

"Oh, they're currently resting. Kagami-kun is sill unconscious, and Furihata-kun, I'm guessing he's asleep." Kuroko told her. "The doctor gave me prescriptions to fetch some of the medicines. I was heading for the pharmacy when I bumped onto you, Momoi-san."

Momoi perked up, taking Aomine's arm into hers and tugging at him. "Tetsu-kun, is it alright if we come along? I'd love to talk more with you!"

Kuroko didn't mind going alone, but she insisted they needed to be with him as moral support because they'd all been through a traumatic experience. At that, he fell silent. He realised he was growing uncomfortable at the idea of being left alone in a foreign place, somewhere that was a disturbing reminder of a gilded cage he'd been freed from, a few hours ago. In the end, Kuroko gladly let them come along.

"Visiting hours are until 10 P.M., right? I want to see Kagamin and Ki-chan before we leave." Momoi said, walking in between Aomine and Kuroko. She was checking her wristwatch, Kuroko caught a glimpse of it. It was nearing 7 O'clock. He wondered if his mother was making dinner, right now, whatever Nigou was doing and if his father was back from his business trip.

"I was wondering about Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san, to be honest. We were separated after we've arrived, I was accompanying Kagami-kun and Furihata-kun for their checkups. Do you perhaps know where they are right now? I'd like to visit them." He asked.

"Oh! We met them earlier, actually. We were a bit lost and got to the wrong wing." Momoi said. "It looks they're consulting with the gynaecologist about Kasamatsu's condition — I heard he was hurt? I hope he'll be okay, Ki-chan looked nervous."

Kuroko wished Kise would behave and wasn't panicking too much. He'd hate having to punch him again, even though he'd do it again if the need arose. Not that he'd do it just because the blonde annoyed him from time to time. Kasamatsu's baby, Kuroko's mind wandered to him. After all this mess was over, it was only a beginning to something even bigger, for them both. He couldn't imagine how would it be for him, when normalcy came along with harsh reality.

He could only hope for the best, for every one of them had their own predicament. He couldn't very well support his friends with his own mind and body exhausted, even when he'd have some rest during the car ride. He was one of the few with the least injuries, he could afford to do some errands.

Momoi offered to get the prescriptions for him, even insisting that Kuroko should take it easy and wait on a bench. Eventually Kuroko agreed, sitting in one of the emptier row at the back with Aomine on his left. Momoi bounced off with the notes, towards the pharmacy counter. The waiting area was quite full of patients, people and hospital staff came and went.

"… we'll pay for everything, since we're responsible for this mess." Aomine uttered, his eyes were following Momoi. "Akashi's lawyers are working to get compensation money for physical and emotional distress you guys suffered, among other things. It's only right. Gramps' willingly giving up the fund. He feels guilty for letting this happened."

Kuroko took some time to digest the information. "I… appreciate it. I have no money on me, and I was wondering how I'd pay for Kagami-kun's medicines…"

Aomine laughed.

"You sound like his wife." He said, wryly.

He paused, running a hand through his hair. The discoloured swelling on his face had reduced, leaving a faint purplish black ring framing the area. He seemed as tired as Kuroko did, maybe even more so. He was silent, for a while, fingers kneading his temples. "… uncle nearly destroyed everything. Akashi's family and gramps managed to salvage what's left of its ruins. The board of directors are turning away from us, the sponsors will follow suit as soon as this gets out, even the organisation … it'll be a hell of a fight to get our hospital back, legally."

Kuroko clenched his jaw and balled his fists. While he had no sympathy for the man who did so many terrible things to him and his friends, he couldn't overlook the fact that that man was Aomine's family and that his arrest caused grief for him. "Aomine-kun, I'm sorry … about everything. And your uncle, too."

The taller teen shook his head. "He got what he deserves. I don't imagine they'd let him get away with all the dirt Akashi gathered, or is gathering in the mean time. The point is, it just keeps piling up. He'd spend a long time in the jail. That old coot, I told him to stop playing those shady deals … he didn't listen. Don't feel sorry, Tetsu, I'm still fucking angry that he tried to mate you to Kise by force."

Kuroko nodded, unsure of what else to say.

"Satsuki cried, last night." Aomine continued, his voice muted.

"She wanted to see you and Kise — wanted to help and be an emotional support for you guys. It was too dangerous, so I didn't let her. Besides, she had to get gramps out from his house arrest." He paused. "She's been with me — and my family for the longest time, she used to be close to uncle. She … cried so much. Maybe she was doing it for my part, too." The last sentence was said in a barely audible whisper, and Aomine looked away.

Just by then, Momoi was back from the Pharmacy counter, smiling brightly as if what Aomine said wasn't true. The puffiness and the bags under her eyes suggested otherwise. She was holding two white paper bags with the hospital's logo on it. "Here you go, Tetsu-kun." She handed the bags to him. Kuroko accepted them with a grateful thank you.

Momoi wanted to see Kagami, so they went back to the patient rooms. When they arrived, Kagami was still sleeping, so did Furihata, both under heavy medication.

As he was putting away the paper bags, Kuroko noticed two trays of food on a small table at a corner, two identical Japanese-style meals were covered with plastic lids. Momoi and Aomine sat on the chairs by Kagami's bedside. He didn't have anything but the mineral bottles the hospital provided them, he poured water into two glasses and handed them to his friends.

"Thank you, Tetsu-kun." Momoi said in a soft voice. "Too bad, Kagamin is asleep. I guess it can't be helped. I'll visit again tomorrow when he's awake, won't we, Dai-chan?"

Aomine grunted a reply. "Akashi's not here?"

"He's out at the moment." Kuroko told him. "I think he's mentioned something about taking care of some paper works. Midorima-kun and Takao-kun went home, while Murasakibara-kun is with Himuro-san. I do not know where he is."

"Huh." The tallest teen took a look at the sleeping redhead, then the bag of blood connected to him by the tubes. " … god, he's a mess. What did the doctor say?"

"He will be… alright. He's gotten enough blood transfusion, but he won't be able to do any overexerting activity like basketball." Kuroko tried to keep his tone stable, brushing a hand over Kagami's forehead. The skin felt feverish. "He may be discharged after a week, but he has to take it easy and rest until the wounds are better." He turned his head to look at Furihata.

"Furihata-kun's wounds are already healing and the new injuries aren't too serious. He can leave in a few days, we're waiting for his family to come for him. I — I don't know how to contact Kagami-kun's parents. I was thinking of calling home, as well, if there's any public phone around."

"Akashi and I will contact your families. Don't sweat it." Aomine crossed his legs, wincing then uncrossing it again. He cussed loudly. Momoi shot him a glare and pinched his thigh, which made him cursed again. She shushed him, before turning to Kuroko, giving him an assuring look.

"I'll do it! Don't worry and just take it easy Tetsu-kun. You need to rest, too."

They stayed for a while, kept Kuroko company and chatted with him. Akashi hadn't come back yet, and Furihata was still asleep. Kagami had started waking up half an hour later, very much affected by the drugs, he was waking up languidly, slowly.

" …mmh." He groaned, eyebrows knitted together to form deep creases on his forehead, face scrunching as if he caught a bad stench under his nose. His movement was slow, suddenly stiffening. His body jerked slightly, wincing. "Oww… 'urts…" Kagami moaned out, with a pained expression. The furrows on his forehead deepened, the lines were hard and rigid. He kept mumbling incoherently with slurred words — his eyes were opening in a snail's pace.

"Kuro … ko … "

"I'm here." Kuroko sat on the side of the bed, leaning close and taking a hold of his hand. Kagami was disoriented, yet he squeezed his hand in response. "Kagami-kun, take it slowly. Don't move too much. Would you like to sit if your back hurts?" The doctor mentioned to prevent Kagami's wounds from abrasion, when he was awake it was recommended to keep him seated to relieve his back from the grazing.

Kagami squinted, blinking repeatedly. His gaze looked at Kuroko, seemingly unfocused."Uh huh,"

He helped Kagami to sit, keeping him steady by the shoulders and being careful with the tubes. Kagami had a hand over his eyes, covering half of his eyes. He was groaning and complaining that his head hurt, and everywhere hurt. Kuroko could only attempt to soothe him with words of encouragement. He opened his eyes a tad wider, glancing around the room and passing through Aomine and Momoi. They stopped when he found Kuroko, eyelids closing and opening. He gave a little shake of the head to clear out the lethargy.

"Where … where are we? Are we still at the…?" He tried to ask.

"We're at a public hospital in Tokyo, Kagami-kun." He informed him, wiping a way the sweat beading on his temples. "You passed out back in the woods, we had to bring you here for treatments."

Kagami stared at him, he had a blank look on his face that seemed a little off.

" _Kuroko!_ " Without warning, he grabbed Kuroko's arms and pulled him in, and soon Kuroko was wrapped in a tight embrace. Kagami's feverish skin seethed against his, his temperature had sky-rocketed. Even so, the force of his arms almost suffocated him. "You're alright … thank god. You're alright. I thought I lost you … " He whispered to his ear, warm breath caressing the delicate skin. He sounded delirious, as if he wasn't aware of himself, as he pressed his lips to his ear, down his nape.

He could feel Kagami's tongue prodding his skin, his teeth grazing and nipping. He was nuzzling him and nosing for Kuroko's scent, an arm encircled his waist. He held his face and tilted Kuroko's jaw, before he could say anything Kagami continued to freely gnaw at his neck. " … not going anywhere… mine …" He muttered, barely audible.

Kuroko blushed a dark red, half embarrassed and half mortified.

It was even worse when he caught the surprised look on Aomine and Momoi's faces, a pink flush decorated the latter's cheeks, holding a hand over her mouth. Aomine was just boldly  _staring_.

"Ka - Kagami-kun, stop, please." Kuroko reasoned, placing his palms over the tiger's chest and pushing.

But Kagami wouldn't budge, he kept clinging to Kuroko, muttering deliriously. "No… NO! They gon' take you … gon' take you away again …" He'd rebuked, stubbornly holding him tightly. Some of the slurred words were in english, which made it all the more confusing. Kagami was delirious with the fever and refused to let go of Kuroko even after Momoi intervened, Aomine merely sat there with crossed arms, a look of mild amusement plastered over his mug.

"Oh my god, he's stuck to you like glue." Momoi said, her cheeks were inflamed. After five minutes of attempting to pry Kagami's arms off, she gave up, returning to her seat. "Kagamin's so worried about you, Tetsu-kun. It's so cute!"

"This turns out more interesting than I thought." Aomine snorted, grinning.

Kuroko shot a glare at him. He had to get Kagami off of him, somehow, this position was awkward and his waist was twisted in a strange way. Plus, Kagami's temperature was burning hot. He had to take his medicine and rest. "… Kagami-kun, I'm not going anywhere. The bad men are gone. I'm here with you. I'll be here the whole night."

"Really…? You gon' stay with me?" He asked in a foreign english accent.

He smiled, brushing a hand over Kagami's forehead. It felt hot under his fingers. "You have a fever. You need to rest, Kagami-kun and take the medicine. The doctor will be here at any minute. I'll be with you, so let me go?"

Kagami didn't reply immediately, but he loosened his hold over Kuroko. He stared at him, hard, his head wobbling slightly. "Okay, but, hold my hand." He said, taking Kuroko's hand from his forehead and holding it tightly. "So I'd know you're always with me … always …" That was such a childish request, in complete contrast with how imposing and big his body was. His face was now red with the fever, flushed with half-lidded eyes.

Kuroko squeezed his hand, finding this situation odd but amusing. Kagami was acting so adorable and out of character, he almost felt sorry for him. He was acting like a child in front of an audience, he could imagine the boiling red of his face later when he was fully awake. That'd be something to look forward to. "Alright. I'll hold your hand, Kagami-kun."

"Ooh, this is  _gold_. I'm going to use this, later." Aomine devilishly smirked.

In the end, Kuroko managed to convince Kagami to unhand him. A few minutes later, the nurses came for a check up when the blood bag had diminished. Aomine then convinced Momoi to leave for the night, as it was late and everyone in the room was either too exhausted or unconscious. Furihata was woken up for the check up and dinner, but Kagami was too lethargic to eat. They hooked him on drips instead. The dinner for Kagami was offered to Kuroko, who realised he hadn't eaten anything in a while. He didn't have much appetite.

The doctor came in shortly with Akashi.

"I will have to leave tonight. My lawyers have contacted me, regarding the arrest. I believe they need people to testify for the evidence, they called for the victims and those associated as well. But I refused, you're all simply unable to do such things, with your conditions. I will reschedule for another time. However, tomorrow morning the police will come for you, for documentation and investigation. They will question you about the kidnapping, among other things." Akashi briefly told him, his eyes glanced at the state Kagami and Furihata were in.

He breathed in, deeply. The redhead didn't suffer much damage — he looked as exhausted as Kuroko was. "I have called your friends and families, however, I discouraged them from visiting tonight. It's best to let you all rest, it's been a long day. I know you want to look out for Kagami and Kouki, but try to rest, Kuroko. You look worse to wear, as well."

Kuroko nodded, his hand was still in Kagami's even as his lover already went back to sleep. Even in deep slumber, he refused to let him go. "I will. Thank you for the concern, Akashi-kun. And thank you for everything you did for us."

"What are friends for, Kuroko?" Akashi said. "Don't mention it. I would not do this, if it weren't my friends who were in trouble, Kouki and my own personal reasons." The redhead's eyes flashed strangely when he said it, with a charming smile that quickly diverted his attention from the initial flicker of golden.

He felt a little disappointed, that he wouldn't be able to see his family tonight. But in the same time, he was grateful to have some time to rest before the chaos began, with the police investigation and having to explain to everyone where he'd been.

"What about Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san? I haven't seen them since we arrived." He asked.

"They're resting in another patient room after the checkup. And don't worry, both Kasamatsu and the baby are healthy. There are no complications, so far. He doesn't suffer much injuries." Akashi gave him a smile, when Kuroko sighed in relief.

"I've offered Murasakibara and Himuro to stay with me at the hotel, if you wish to know. Himuro-san has come all the way to seek Murasakibara since two days ago. He was very concerned, however I could not let him interfere until everything is settled, thus I've sent him away until the right moment. He only knew what happened today."

"Yes, I saw them. They were having a … reunion. I was surprised to see Himuro-san here, to be honest." He said, wondering whether Himuro had forgiven Murasakibara for going missing for days. To think the older boy would go so far for the purple-haired giant.

The redhead nodded. "Then, have you seen Aomine and Momoi? I believe they were around the vicinity just a short while back."

"Yes, they went home a moment ago. It is rather late. And everyone isn't ready for visitors. They told me they'd come to visit tomorrow, Midorima-kun and Takao-kun as well. They left early, but will come tomorrow." He told him.

"Is that so? Then, I'll see you tomorrow too, Kuroko." Akashi turned his head and looked at Furihata, who was still being attended by the doctor. "I'd like to say good night to Kouki, first. Please excuse me."

The doctor had given prescriptions to help with Kagami's fever, there was a box of cooling patches inside of the paper bag. It was tricky to get it to open with only one hand, but he managed to use his right hand and mouth to tear off the package. The side with the light blue sticky gel was attached to the redhead's forehead. Kagami had grunted and sighed when the cool gel touched his heated skin. He looked appreciative of it.

Akashi stayed for another ten to fifteen minutes or so after the doctor left, he'd chatted with Furihata and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Furihata had blushed like a boiled crab, Akashi had looked pleased with his reaction. They muttered of something (Kuroko tried very hard not to overhear anything), before they parted ways.

The redhead left the room after one last "see you tomorrow," while Furihata seemed both confused and embarrassed yet he didn't refuse Akashi's advances. He declared his head felt too hot, so he would try to sleep it off — then he promptly went to bed, still red to his ears.

The fatigue hit Kuroko a moment later. He had his head laying on the empty side of Kagami's bed, his eyes fluttering close. Their hands were entwined. It felt warm. There was a small couch in the room that he could use to sleep in, but at this rate, he might as well fall asleep there. He was careful not to put pressure on Kagami's torso, adjusting their hold until it fell next to his head, one arm propped to cushion him. Kuroko idly gazed at their joint fingers, now sweat-stained with Kagami's increased body heat.

Kuroko sighed, yawned and nuzzled to Kagami, closing his eyes. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, breaths steadying and labouring thoughts flying away from his mind.

—

Kuroko was woken up with a fierce shake, by a very anxious Furihata.

His head was still heavy, his body hadn't quite woken up yet and his mind fuzzy. He barely administered the fact that Furihata was acting too agitated for it to be of a simple matter of waking him up for something bigger than a breakfast. "… Furihata-kun? … good morning…" He slurred, straightening his back slowly. Kuroko yawned, his back ached from the unusual sleeping position. Kagami was still asleep, their hands locked together, stiff.

He attempted to pry them open, which he succeeded. The redhead merely moaned softly and two fingers twitched, as if in protest. Furihata kept shaking him, making his head dizzy. It took approximately ten seconds of waking up for Kuroko to notice the quivers of the brunette's shoulders and the paling of his complexion that wasn't due to his injuries.

"K - Kuroko, I - I don't know what's going on, but something weird is happening o - outside."

He quirked an eyebrow at that. Kuroko glanced at the clock and realised it was 7 A.M. in the morning, very early. Yet something peculiar was going on, it was somewhat … noisy. The commotion came from outside of the room — from the direction of the windows. He'd thought it was due to morning traffic. But noises of traffic wouldn't warrant Furihata to act so strangely, would it? And he could hear something like flashes and people shouting.

What could it be?

With curiosity gnawing his mind, Kuroko got up from the chair, starched his stiff limbs for a bit — meanwhile Furihata kept glancing at the curtained windows — then he made his way towards the window, setting aside the blinds. He blinked when the morning sunlight that peeked from behind a tall building blinded him for a few moments, he narrowed his eyes, purple sparks dotted his vision.

At the entrance gate of the hospital, there was a throng of people being held back by the enclosed steel fence. They could see them clearly on the third floor, with windows directly facing the entrance. Kuroko had to look away, due to the numerous white flashes of camera that were suddenly directed to his way. He used a hand to shield his eyes, sensitive from sleep. He wasn't quite aware of what was going on. One or two of them started yelling, and that was when Kuroko's senses were flared with alert with an idea of the exact answer to that simple question.

"THAT'S THE ARCTIC FOX! KUROKO TETSUYA, THE VICTIM OF THE ABDUCTION CASE! PLEASE TELL US YOUR EXPERIENCE!"

"MR. KUROKO, GRANT US A FEW WORDS!"

"ARE YOU PLANNING TO REVIVE THE EXTINCT BREED!? PLEASE LET US KNOW!"

His blood ran cold.

Kuroko shut the blinds almost instinctively, shaken by the crowd of paparazzi swarming the gates, for him.

"What…" He muttered, taking two steps back. "What … is that?" He somehow had an inkling of the answer, but didn't want to understand it. To say that wasn't what he expected, was a boldened understatement. What happened? How could those people knew of the abduction? And so quickly, too. It was just yesterday.

"I - I don't know. I woke up early this morning, and I was in the bathroom and it was so loud outside and I n - noticed they were saying your name a bunch of times." Furihata stammered. "Kuroko, how could they know about the abduction? Akashi didn't say anything about this… "

He shook his head, slightly. He was stunned, didn't know what to think. "I - I have no idea."

This wasn't happening, he wasn't prepared for all of this … attention lashed on him.

Kuroko couldn't cope with the sudden information. There were probably fifteen to twenty people out there, strangers shouting his name, demanding his presence. How and why, he didn't want to know. He didn't know what to do. He had to do something,  _anything_ , to distract himself from the escalating panic — the swirl of disarray sprouting and spreading in alarming speed. He was growing restless, and his body in turn overreacted — he started breathing too fast — nearly hyperventilating.

No. He couldn't handle this right now. Kuroko tried to slow down the breathing. He had to soothe his nerves, too much was happening in a span of a short time.

"Kagami-kun…" He called out, his voice sounded weak even for himself. Kuroko turned to the sleeping redhead, he couldn't take his eyes off — there was a sensation of relief when he looked at Kagami. He'd reached the side of the bed, a trembling hand laid over his rising chest. He started shaking him. "Kagami-kun, wake up. Please, wake up."

Furihata sympathetically stayed by his side as Kuroko attempted to rouse Kagami, finding the mere action of being close to his mate was soothing. Yet he couldn't shut out the noises completely, of people with cameras and microphones, demanding for him to talk to them — asking questions far too personal for comfort. He was confused and anxious. He never wanted anything like this.

After what seemed to be far too log, Kagami was waking up, this time more alert and not delirious with fever.

"Mmmh … Kuro - ko…?" Kagami mumbled, squinting his eyes.

He'd attempted to get up to sit, immediately yelping out in rage when his back grazed against the bed. " _Oww!_  Shit, that hurts! What the hell!?" He cursed, squeezing his eyes shut. His fists clenched the sheets tightly. A second later, he'd cracked them open again, staring at at Kuroko and Furihata blankly and rubbing his eyes. "What is it…? I feel pain all over my — "

Kagami sharply turned his head, eyes locked at the curtains, the sunlight peeked in from the gaps. All traces of slumber vanished from his features. His ears twitched, growing reddish furs with black tips at the top. His red eyes flashed golden, his pupils turned into vertical slits. His expression solidified, a mix of anger and agitation overridden the exhaustion, the pale shade flushed in fuscia, no longer sickly.

"What … the… how did they…?" Creases appeared in between his eyebrows and Kagami frowned.

Kuroko shook his head. His hands clutched the sheets, knuckles turning white. "I don't know, when I woke up just a while ago, they were already — "

"Don't go outside." Kagami barked, prying his clenched fist off and holding it in his hand. The touch was gentle, despite the harshness of his voice. "Stay here. You don't have to listen to them."

It was difficult not to listen. However, the way Kagami looked at him, it made him felt like he wasn't alone in this. Kagami, even when he wasn't well, was there for him. And so did Furihata. Both were there, for him. "Okay." Kuroko said, mutedly. "I'll try not to … listen to them."

"I - I'll call Akashi."

When Kagami and Kuroko looked at him, Furihata showed them a cellphone. A small smartphone of the latest model, Kuroko remembered seeing it on an ad a few weeks ago. "He gave this to me, because I wanted to call my family and — so I can contact him if I need anything — but anyway, I'll call him and ask him to - to come here. He must know what we can do to deal with this."

Both Kagami and Kuroko agreed to Furihata's idea. None of them knew how to deal with something so bizarre and unusual. They let Furihata called Akashi, while Kagami consoled Kuroko, making sure he wasn't intimidated by the sudden surge of attention. The redhead ignored the pain, just to be able to be there for him, uttering words of encouragement that he needed to hear.

"It's gonna be okay, you hear me?" He uttered, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. Kagami caressed a hand over his jawline, one hand was holding Kuroko's. The situation was an opposite to how it was last night. "This will die down eventually. I won't let them do anything you don't want to. I won't let them get to you. We'll face this together. You don't have to do this alone, I'm here."

"I know." Kuroko had said. "I'm happy you're with me. I - I don't know what to think. I'm confused."

Kagami gave him an assuring smile, playing the Kuroko's hair in his fingers. "We'll find a way to deal with it, don't worry. I promise."

As soon as Furihata finished the call, they waited. The doctor came in for a checkup some time later. He gave them a look of understanding and told them the security wouldn't let the reporters come into the hospital, although he was concerned if someone could slip in unnoticed. He advised Kuroko not to leave the room in the mean time. This made Kuroko felt upset when he learned they closed off the gates due to the persistent paparazzi, which meant visitors wouldn't be able to enter the hospital until further notice.

About twenty minutes later, the commotion escalated when loud sirens emerged in the thin air, the voices died down almost instantly. Everyone exchanged looks. Curious, Furihata got up from the chair and took a peek behind the blinds. "It's the police! There're so many … cars." He muttered, brown eyes widening. "The reporters are retreating from the gates. They're getting in. The police, I mean."

"Akashi-kun mentioned they'd come for the investigation." Kuroko uttered, he wasn't quite ready for them, either.

"The police? That could be a good thing, they can chase off the paparazzi." Kagami exclaimed, voice risen. "Furihata. Gimme the phone, I'm gonna need to borrow it."

Furihata obliged, going over to Kagami with the phone in hand. He gave Kagami the phone, which he accepted and started dialling numbers. Kuroko was concerned by how quickly Kagami was moving his limbs, with his white bandages started staining with blots of red. "Kagami-kun, please slow down. You're still unwell."

"It's okay. I'm fine." Kagami briefly dismissed, the phone pressed to his ear. "Hello? Akashi, it's me. Kagami. Yeah, paparazzi's still outside. The police's here though. … you're closing by? Great. You know what's going on here? How did they know that Kuroko's —  _what?_ " His features stiffened, jawline clenching. He inhaled deeply, and Kuroko could see the black stripes flickered over his skin.

"…yeah, I'll wait 'til you come. Great. See you."

He withdrew the phone, ending the call.

"Akashi's coming over with Midorima and the others." He paused, as if unsure whether to say something to Kuroko. "… he said he'll explain things when he's here."

Kuroko swallowed, feeling a lump stuck in his throat and preventing him from saying anything. He could only nod, silent. There were too many things they didn't know right now, they had to wait until someone with better knowledge showed up. How perplexing, he had Kagami fluster over him instead of Kuroko taking care of his mate due to his injuries. He didn't need this, right now. He merely wanted to be at peace, to be with Kagami. After all that happened.

Several men in uniform entered the room a short while later. The policemen. Furihata sniffed and growled softly, staring at the men in alert. He sniffed several times more just to be sure, calming down after he'd identified them. It looked like they were from the werepeople department.

One of them, a middle-age man in a messy suit tipped his hat and smiled lopsidedly. His face wrinkled as he smiled. "Excuse me, we are from NPA. I'm detective Fujiwara Daigo, and I'd like to ask you several questions regarding the Investigation for the Abduction Case. Are you Kuroko Tetsuya?"

He rose from his seat, bowing politely. Kagami, to his right, frowned. "Yes, I am Kuroko Tetsuya."

The detective nodded once. "Great, do you mind following us? The sooner we get this done, the better. You and your friends look like you all need some rest. We'll need to talk to all of you, actually. So hold on to that thought while we interview your friend here."

"Can't you do that here?" Kagami snapped, growling rather loudly. "He's still not well. You can't make him go with you!"

The detective gave Kagami a long look. "Sorry, boy. It's not our policy to interview a witness in a patient room. The hospital discourages us from disturbing other patients, you see. Besides, we have to document everything and all of the equipments are set in another room."

"Kagami-kun, I'm alright." Kuroko told him. "I'll be back soon. I'm sure nothing bad will happen with these gentlemen around. It's an interview for the investigation."

The tiger visibly shrunk from Kuroko's persuasion. "If you say so … " He squeezed Kuroko's hand one last time. "I'll wait for you."

He offered him a small smile, as their hold separated. He glanced at Furihata, who gave him a nervous grin, then followed the officer to the door. As the door closed behind him, he wondered to himself, what would come next for him? There was no such a thing as a happy ending in real life, and it would seem his ending in this matter, would have a long way to go until everything truly settled down.

Kuroko was uncertain of what the future held, but he wasn't alone. That much, he understood.

—

TBC.

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Nothing is truly the end as long as you're alive, that's what I believe. That being said, the next chapter's the last chapter. The smut you're waiting for will be in the NEXT CHAPTER~


	19. The Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yep. Last chapter. My personal note on this is at the end of the page. (;-;) This is it, guys. *sniffles* It's been such an emotional roller coaster. It's been a pleasure. While I can't promise a sweet-sweet ending, as life is in fact, bittersweet. It has its bitter and sweet moments. Also extra long chapter cos it's been a while, I got so many things I wanted to write.
> 
> Warning: Smut at the end of chapter.

—

**Beastly Call**

—

Chapter 19: The Future

—

"It's Media Manipulation. I leaked the information to the press yesterday, regarding the Abduction Case, at the same time we sent the evidence to the police department." Akashi told them.

"Of course, it was a measure taken in case foul play exists in the Judicial system to ensure the investigation couldn't be tempered with. This way, we bring the public's attention into the case. When the mass learns of the Abduction, they will demand for the criminals to be punished lawfully, as people abhor those who'd harm minors. This, is my original intention."

He paused.

"It was never about making Kuroko a target. However, I can't say that I hadn't taken the possibility into consideration. After all, as soon as they'd gotten the leak, they would do their own investigation and draw conclusions. Unfortunately, that includes Kuroko's true identity as a Retrograde Arctic Fox. With your name spearheading the headlines, you will attract sympathy, but also curiosity and undesirable attention. I do think that sooner or later, the truth will come out — for it is a large-scale incident. This method has simply accelerated the process."

Kuroko held his breath, the gears in his head worked tirelessly to process the information. Kagami on his side, was frowning, the furrows between his eyebrows deepened.

"Think you could've told us earlier? I don't like how you kept us in the dark until this mess with paparazzi erupts." He barked out, his tone scorched in fury. "Kuroko's suffered enough of this shit, he could use a fucking break. Didn't you think about that!?" Kagami was genuinely angry, his beastly features started emerging. Kuroko realised, if he wasn't bedridden, Kagami could very possibly assault Akashi right there and then.

Akashi held his gaze, quiet. Furihata seemed tense — he kept throwing anxious glances at them. Midorima was standing by the door, crossing his arms over his chest. He was observing the scene in silence. The air was heavy, thick with mixed the scents of three alphas — the peace between them was hanging on a balance.

Kuroko placed a hand over Kagami's hand to lessen the tension, but the tiger was far too upset for such a small gesture.

"I agree. I hold responsibility for this." Akashi nodded. "I will do my best to keep Kuroko safe from the crowd, I'm well aware that he is in no condition to give his … opinions, regarding the matter. He only needs to deal with the investigation, not the media."

Kagami glared at him, and Kuroko squeezed his hand. It worked this time, Kagami breathed in deeply, the stiffness softened by half a degree. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.

"It's not that I don't trust you or that I don't appreciate what you've done for us." He started. "I just don't want Kuroko to experience this kind of shitty thing. I want my mate safe and happy. I don't want him to worry or feel like he has to be on his guard all the time."

"I'm afraid, it's a luxury at this point." Akashi offered him a sympathetic smile.

"Kuroko had managed to live undetected due to the fact that he's registered as a normal dog breed and that he was from an ordinary family, but this incident with the Abduction, has brought light to his status as a victim subjected to multiple criminal offences. Once they've investigated his family registry and found out his grandmother had been the last known Arctic Fox … all shall break loose."

He looked over his shoulders and looked at Furihata.

"This isn't something that I could control fully. I can attempt to minimise the effect, but I can't stop the headlines from emerging unfiltered. Besides the point. This is not only about Kuroko, Kagami. Kouki, Kise and Kasamatsu. Aomine. Even you, those involved will inevitably fall into the same category."

A solid silence seeped out into the air, the realisation of what Akashi suggested made Kuroko look at Furihata — brown eyes wide and mouth hung agape. He wouldn't be the only one whose life going to be changed from this, he wasn't the only  _target_. Furihata, Kise and Kasamatsu. They were victims to this case, and this wasn't enough?

"No." Kuroko choked out, shaking his head slightly. "They can't make them - _no!_ " He said, abruptly getting off the bed and standing up.

Everyone whipped their heads to look at him, Kagami's expression appeared in the corner of his vision. "Kuroko?"

"No. They can't - they can't make Furihata-kun, or Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san, targets. They're innocent! I - if it weren't because of me, none of them would have to experience this!  _It's my fault!_ " He yelled, losing control of the volume of his voice.

Furihata, wounded because he tried to help. Kise and Kasamatsu, dragged down to this mess. Because he was born a Retrograde Arctic Fox. He knew it wasn't his fault, that it wasn't him who'd given Furihata his injuries or kidnapped Kasamatsu when he was expecting, or forced Kise to a mating he never wanted — but the knowledge that he was partly responsible for it and had been the reason it started — how helpless he was at preventing it from happening, how weak — he couldn't take it.

"Isn't it enough, just me? I don't want them to have to go through this, too!" He shook his head, eyes burning with wet heat.

The built up frustration, the rage and the grief that he'd kept at bay, broke out all at once, an uncontrollable storm set free and wiped off everything else within the minuscule world of his mind. He couldn't stop the tears from spilling out, dripping down his cheeks and falling to the floor. He was so angry and frustrated, his shoulders and fists trembled violently.

" _Enough_. It's enough! I don't want this! I never wanted to be a Retrograde or an Arctic Fox! I didn't want Furihata-kun to sacrifice himself for me. I didn't want to drag Kasamatsu-san and Kise-kun to this madness, or for everyone to be involved and hurt — I don't want to have to witness Kagami-kun lying unconscious, covered in his own blood! I don't want other people to get hurt because of me,  _ever again!_ "

He staggered backwards, throat dry and ached from unburdening the pressure, and yet it hurt. When the anger had been spilt, the grief remained and the frustration lingered. It was stifling.

"I couldn't help anyone. I couldn't stop anything." He muttered, watching droplets of salty water dripping down, pooling on the floor. In an instant, the scene overlapped, the puddle became red, staining the ground that wasn't the porcelain white of the patient room's floor. The palm of his bandaged hand was wet, the warmth quickly fading away. "If that day, I lost Kagami-kun, I — "

"Kuroko." He felt a sudden tug on his left arm. Kagami had caught a hold of his wrist, the grip was firm. He looked at him in the eyes. "Kuroko, you didn't lose me. I'm here. I'm alright."

"No, you're not." He shook his head, a sob escaped his lips.

He'd tried to convince himself otherwise, but the image would still be there, in the back of his mind. The horror he felt when he held Kagami's body in his arms, or when he held Furihata's small, listless form. Both weak and so cold. The sights of his friends, bruised and cut and bloodied. He'd seen one too many, and it broke something inside of him. " … I still see you, sometimes, in that forest. Your eyes closed. You're not moving. There was blood everywhere. I tried to stop the bleeding, but it just wouldn't stop — "

He suddenly was pulled down into a strong embrace.

"Stop it." Kagami whispered, his skin was warm. Feverish. "I'm here. Nobody is blaming you for what happened. Stop thinking like that."

"I know. But … I can't help it." He sobbed against the redhead's shoulder, closing his eyes. His voice was small and weak. Nobody blamed him, but it didn't mean it hurt less.

"Kuroko…"

When he opened his eyes, Furihata was standing by the bed, brown eyes glazed, shining with concern. "I know you feel responsible for everything, but… but I wanted to go with you, I know it was stupid of me and maybe I shouldn't have followed you. Please don't blame yourself. I did it because I wanted to. I - I couldn't bring myself to leave you alone with those guys, and I know I got hurt and everything, but I — " He paused and inhaled deeply, before continuing.

"I don't regret anything, and you shouldn't, too." He said, lips twitching to form a smile. He brought a hand onto his shoulder. "I'm just so happy we can go home safely. I'm already grateful for that."

Kagami loosened his hold and Kuroko looked up at the brunette. "Furihata-kun, I know. But, I still — " felt like it was all on him. He couldn't stop the dark thoughts, the guilt. How would he continue to live with this weight on his shoulders?

Akashi and Midorima remained silent, all the while, until Midorima opened his mouth.

"Don't be ridiculous." He stated, in a cold tone. "If you feel responsible for what happened, then do something to make up for it. It's that simple."

Kagami sharply turned his attention towards the jade-eyed teen, gaze burnt with rage and expression infuriated. "What the fuck, Midorima!? You jackass! Say that again, I dare you!" He leaned forward as if wanting to launch himself at him, but the wounds and Kuroko's arms forced him back — he overexerted himself and soon yelled in pain, breaking in cold sweat. " _Shit!_  Fuckin' lame … " He muttered under his great, slamming a fist onto the bed.

"Kagami-kun, don't force yourself too much!" Kuroko gently pushed him, the skin under his fingers felt wet.

"… I believe, what Midorima meant, was that if you feel responsible for everything, you should try asking for everyone's opinion on this, Kuroko. But I'm sure you know that nobody will hold this against you, and nobody would wish for you to be burdened by guilt." Akashi shot a hard look at Midorima, who frowned and visibly changed his stance, straightening his back.

"Right. There is no use to lament what has happened when it was obviously beyond your control. After all, we all do our best to protect those we love, even should it be of questionable method." Midorima paused, a strange sort of glimmer appeared and disappeared from his eyes. "I merely went with the plan because I needed to settle some things, for Takao's sake. Do not feel like you owe me, Kuroko."

"If you're concerned about the press, I've done my share of fixes to conceal the identities of the rest of the witnesses. I don't know how they've learnt of Kise and Kuroko's identities, I would think it was due to the fact that Kise is a well-known model and that Kuroko possesses a unique circumstance, thus it'd make better headlines. Otherwise, Kasamatsu, Kouki, Kagami and Murasakibara's identities are yet to be exposed at the moment. I will do my best to contain the media's knowledge of this matter." Akashi added.

Kuroko couldn't begin to describe how relieved he was, hearing that.

"Is that true? I'm so … glad." He uttered, the tension in his body and mind lessened significantly. He used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe his wet cheeks. "At least, Furihata-kun and Kasamatsu-san wouldn't be subjected to … unwanted attention." He gripped the sheets tightly. Especially with Kasamatsu's situation. With Kise's identity exposed — he wished it wouldn't make things worse for them.

"Kuroko." Akashi called him, drawing his attention. The redhead had a serious look about him as he resumed speaking.

"I would advise you to seek help with an expert and consider attending therapy sessions. It seems to me, that you may be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Given what you've experienced, it's not at all implausible." He remarked. "In fact, I advise this to all of you. It's not merely the matter of physical wounds, it's also a matter of psychological trauma you may have acquired during captive. We must do well to attend to both aspects."

What the redhead suggested, rendered him quiet. It made sense — while he virtually had no serious physical injuries, his mind was more than a little disturbed by what he'd witnessed. Flashes of dreadful images flickered in the back of his eyes. He felt a shiver ran up his spines every time he remembered. "I … will consider it." He said, a hand sought Kagami's, wanting an assuring touch. The latter gladly gave it to him, both exchanging looks and a silent understanding.

Akashi nodded, casting a glance to Furihata. "Kouki, you too. You don't have to hold back anymore."

"I - I'm okay. I'll consider it too." Furihata said, hanging his head. His gaze fixated on the floor.

Kagami looked at him with a sort of sadness in his eyes, a thumb caressed his cheek. Kuroko tilted his head and wondered. He opened his mouth to speak but remained soundless when Kagami pressed his lips against his forehead. When he withdrew, the same look was still present, growing solemn and determined.

" … Akashi, could you do me a favour?" He turned to speak with the other redhead. "Kuroko's done with the investigation, right? Take him home."

Kuroko stared at him, his mind blank. "Kagami-kun? Why…?"

He saw his jawline clenching, his gaze flickered down and he paused, before turning to him again. "The press thinks you're here. This is a good chance. You'll meet your family again, because at this rate — they can't come to visit. So, you should go to them." He pulled on a forced smile. "I'll be fine, Kuroko. Go home and see your mom, she's worried about you."

He felt his throat dry, all of a sudden. "Kagami-kun, I can't leave you alone. Who's going to look after you? You cannot move around."

"That won't be a problem. Kagami's parents are in the country."

Both turned to Akashi at the revelation, Kagami in particular, had a baffled look on his face. "My parents? Here?"

Akashi nodded.

"You contacted them, correct? Part of the reasons why I could accelerate the process of gathering support, was because they'd contacted the Akashi family and offered their assistance, several days ago. I must say, the influence of a Heavy Seeds couple is a force to be reckoned with." He smiled, admiration hinted in his voice. "They're currently engaged with my lawyers to discuss the steps necessary to deal with the aftermath of the arrest, but surely they would come for you, Kagami."

"Oh. Yeah, I emailed them back then. I forgot." The redhead remarked, scratching his head. "I didn't think they'd go so far. I mean, they're always so busy."

"You're their son. It's not that much of a surprise, isn't it?" The other redhead laughed good-naturedly.

"And yes, regarding your favour. It is indeed possible to trick the media into thinking he is being hospitalised, meanwhile we could smuggle him out of the hospital. We'll leak the false info and I'd take Kuroko out from the front gates as some of them would probably be waiting in the back door, assuming we'd be careless enough not take it to account. My car would suffice. Kuroko may use misdirection to conceal his presence. It'll be ready whenever you are, Kuroko. Maybe you'd like to stay for a bit longer?" He thoughtfully asked.

"I — " Kuroko took a few moments to think. This was sudden, but not entirely unwelcome. Although he was reluctant to be apart from Kagami … but one look at him, and he knew the redhead would attempt to talk him into accepting. "Kagami-kun…"

Kagami shook his head, offering Kuroko an assuring grin,. "Go. Don't worry about me. I prefer that you're somewhere I know you'll feel safe."

He hesitated, eyes glancing down at the where their hands overlapped. "I … want to talk to Kagami-kun first."

"Of course." Akashi said, standing up from his seat. "I'll give you some time. Midorima and I are going to wait outside. Come, Midorima."

He gestured to Midorima, who nodded, then walked out of the room with him. The door clicked shut behind them, silence surfaced the moment it did — Kuroko let out a heavy sigh, glancing down at the floor before turning to Kagami and Furihata. He gritted his teeth, quietly sucking the air through his nose.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to have an outburst like that." The words escaped his mouth slowly, in a soft voice. He couldn't look at either of them in the eyes, ashamed that he'd yelled and imposed on people who needed no such disturbance. He knew it was unbecoming of him, but he wasn't thinking, overcame by emotions and the exhaustion at the face of another problem.

"Kuroko, don't be sorry. I understand." Furihata kindly offered.

Meanwhile, Kagami stared at him blankly. " … and here I thought you were never going to let it out. You're such a poker face — could've fooled me. I knew you were holding it in, but it still shocked me when you did lose it." A grin grew on his lips, he brought a hand to mess with Kuroko's hair. "You stupid idiot, you think I'm angry just 'cos you get emotional? Didn't you realise I'm always trying to get you to open up to me? Not to mention I lost my shit way more times than you did."

The latter blinked, confused.

"Kagami-kun, 'stupid' and 'idiot' are the same thing." He pointed out.

Kagami ruffled his hair more until it might have gotten as bad as his usual morning bed hair. "How could you miss the point, you little asshole. I was being romantic and stuff…" He mumbled, a light flush stained his cheeks. "My point is, I'm glad you let it out. Sure, I don't like that you're thinking negative things like it's all your fault, but god knows it's better than you keeping it in and it gets worse later. I need you to be healthy, mind and body. I want you to be happy. You get me?"

"Yes." Kuroko blushed, leaning his head against Kagami's shoulder. He felt happier already. Kagami had such potent effects on him, it should be criminal. "Yes, I do."

Kagami patted his back, rubbing soothing circles over it. "Good. You gotta go home, come back to me when the reporters are gone and you're feeling better. I'll miss you." He pushed Kuroko only to press their foreheads to one another. "I hate to be away from you, but I don't want you to see me weak like this. I couldn't even stand and take you away from this place myself. Get those paparazzi off your back." He murmured, softly.

"Kagami-kun, that's silly." Kuroko whispered, running a hand down his bandaged arm. "You're like this because you saved me. You're strong."

"I know, but guys don't wanna look lame in front of their crush." The redhead grinned, seemingly troubled.

"I'm a guy too, Kagami-kun. Are you implying that I am not masculine enough? Should I show you my guns?" Kuroko deadpanned, about to roll up his sleeves.

Kagami cringed, pulling away and sighing heavily. "Dude, you're manly enough already — and stop that, there's nothing there to show off and you know it."

"Hmph — !" Furihata suddenly laughed, causing both of them to turn to him.

The brunette was clutching his stomach, one hand covered his mouth. His shoulders were shaking violently with muffled laughter. Kagami and Kuroko blinked and looked at each other, before each cracking a smile themselves. It didn't take two seconds later, for them to burst out laughing, so loudly that Kagami's bed trembled and he soon yelped in pain because he was shaking too much.

The redhead looked at him once more, grinning. "I'll see you."

Kuroko in turn, smiled. "I'll see you, too."

He bade goodbye to Furihata too, before Kuroko got off the bed and rose to his feet, taking one last long look at the redhead. Their hands were still entwined. His heart felt heavy, and Kagami seemed reluctant when they broke the hold, then Kuroko walked towards the entrance. He hesitated for a second, a hand clutching the door knob. He looked over his shoulder, and smiled. "I'll be back soon."

"Yeah. I'll wait."

"Take care, Kuroko."

Akashi and Midorima were waiting for him outside of the room, by the entrance. Kuroko was surprised when he saw Murasakibara and Himuro were present in the hallway. The former was leaning against the wall across of the door, while the latter approached Kuroko, offering him a gentle smile. In the corner of his eyes, he could see a few uniformed men standing by, chatting to themselves. It looked like the investigation was still going.

"Himuro-san. Good morning." Kuroko bowed and greeted politely, turning his attention to the other man.

"Hey. How are you?" Himuro greeted, a little awkwardly as if he wasn't expecting a bow, placing a hand over his shoulder instead. It occurred to Kuroko that Himuro might have not been used to his way of greeting. "I haven't visited Taiga yet. Is he awake?" He asked, gaze drifting towards the door.

"Kagami-kun is awake. You may come in if you wish." Kuroko sidestepped, to show him the way.

"Yeah, thanks." The older boy told him. "Also, I'm sorry for what happened. Atsushi told me all about it. It's been hard for you all, especially with the mess after." A slight crease appeared in between his eyebrows, although the other pair was hidden behind a curtain of black. His visible eye glanced briefly at the group of policemen.

"Yes, we hadn't been expecting it." He admitted, looking down slightly before lifting his jaw. He smiled to Himuro. "Thank you, for the concern."

Himuro shot him a sympathetic look. "Don't mention it. I, ah, I'll look after Taiga in the mean time, because I see that you're leaving? It's probably for the best. You need a break." He looked at Akashi and nodded once.

"Thank you very much. I appreciate it." He quickly said, sighing in relief.

Meanwhile Murasakibara had come to Himuro's side and stared at him in a sluggish way. "Kuro-chin, are you leaving?" He asked, scratching the side of his head.

"Yes, Murasakibara-kun. I'll come back when it's quieter. I'm surprised to see you two here, so early in the morning."

"Aka-chin said I gotta do the interview with the police, so — " He yawned a big one, before continuing. " — Muro-chin dragged me out of the bed. I feel sleepy." At that, Himuro shot him a frown and nudged his side with an elbow. The purple-haired giant didn't look fazed, merely giving his lover a lazy stare.

Kuroko nodded in understanding. Everyone had been called for the questioning, he concluded. The interview itself only took about 10 - 15 minutes, with the detective asking him details about his abduction and taking photographic evidence of him. So far, Kagami and Furihata hadn't been summoned, because Akashi had come for his explanation and suggested the police to inspect the other witnesses in the mean time.

He looked to his right, at where Akashi was standing. "Um, Kasamatsu-san and Kise-kun…?" He started. "I've wanted to visit them. Could we go see them before we leave…?"

The redhead gave him an apologetic smile. "They're being questioned right now. Maybe it's better that you visit them at a latter date." He urged. "I've called your home to inform your family of your arrival. Your mother wants to see you very much."

Kuroko immediately backtracked his intention. If he could help it, he wanted to see his mother as soon as possible. "Ah. Then, next time. Please do send my regards to them."

"Of course. Then, we must go now. My car is in the basement. Do excuse us, Murasakibara. Himuro-san."

Akashi was in hurry, he noticed. He must have other business to attend to, all these problems that served as the aftermath of something truly enormous, the investigation and media, the charges and the law. He must have been the one managing them. They rode the elevator to get to the basement, where a seemingly ordinary Honda Civic with tinted windows was parked. Kuroko sat at the back with Midorima, while Akashi sat at the front passenger seat.

The media people were waiting outside of the gates, unaware of Kuroko's existence in the car. Instead, some of them attempted to enter the compounds when the gates opened for the car to leave. A few of the security staff managed to catch them and saw them off. It was still morning, although the traffic wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.

On his left, Midorima didn't talk much. He had been following the redhead's instructions without much ado — Kuroko was reminded of how it used to be with the two of them, during Teikou. Midorima had always admired Akashi, always stayed by his side back then, like a personal aide. He didn't question Akashi's methods, however it might be.

"You're staring." The green-haired uttered, without looking at him.

"Pardon me." Kuroko glanced at his lap. "I was wondering what happened to Takao-kun. I'd thought he would come with you." He said, which wasn't exactly untrue. He had expected Takao would show up with Midorima, but he hadn't been around.

"I told him to go home. I'm not going to drag him into this case. He has nothing to do with it." Midorima replied, voice cold and indifferent. Yet his words clearly hinted concern for the missing teen. And something else, Kuroko could't detect it very well.

"That is not exactly correct, is it? Takao-kun was searching for something back in the institution, Kagami-kun told me. Although I have no idea what he was looking for."

Midorima visibly flinched, quickly masking the subtle giveaway with a heavy huff.

"He's found nothing. He didn't touch anything." His tone sounded much more strained, gaze stubbornly looked at the sight in front of him. His fingers clawed at his forearm, winkling the fabric. His nails became slightly sharper. "I will take care of everything. It's my responsibility. He's not a part of this."

Kuroko had a feeling Midorima didn't tell him the truth. Something had happened back in the institution, something that was enough to rattle Midorima's composure and it had everything to do with Takao. He was trying to protect his mate. From what, he didn't know. He didn't ask further. He knew it wasn't his business and he didn't think Midorima would be willing to tell him. Kuroko opted silence then, ending their short-lived conversation.

The rest of their trip was fairly quiet.

He perked up when the car entered his neighbourhood, overcame with a sense of relief over the familiar sights of the humble houses, the quiet shallow streets and a kid's playground near the station. The streets were narrow, there was a dent in the underside of that swing in the playground, it had been there since he was in kindergarten. The paint of the monkey bars used to be halfway peeled, and just recently re-painted again, in bright yellow colour. Kuroko found himself staring at the playground just about five minutes walk from his house, breaths batting in anticipation.

"I forgot to tell you something, Kuroko. I think this is yours?" Akashi's voice drew his attention, when he turned he caught the sight of a familiar cellphone in the redhead's hand. His eyes widened, the cellphone was his, the one the Snake guy took from him.

He quickly took the phone, inspecting the black screen. He couldn't turn it on, it might have run out of battery. "This… I thought they'd thrown it away…"

"The police found those after they'd swept off the crime scenes. They found two cellphones from the staff's lockers. We had one of the bodyguards confessing that they were yours and Kouki's, we also found some of your belongings. Unfortunately, I did not bring them with me as of today. I will send it to your house." He looked at Kuroko through the front mirror.

"Furihata-kun's cellphone? Was it the one you gave him yesterday?"

"Ah, no. I gave mine to Kouki. His cellphone is still with me."

Akashi's eyes narrowed in the mirror's reflection. He didn't mention anything about giving Furihata his phone back — which was a little odd, but Kuroko was too preoccupied by the thoughts of going home to pursue the subject.

The car stopped in front of an ordinary two-story house with earthy red roofs, light brown walls and washed-out steel fence that had rusted over years. As he got out of the car, Kuroko held his breath at the sight of potted flowers placed towards the doorway to the entrance. A bush of whitish pink peonies stood near the grey mailbox, the one his mom planted in their shallow lawn the month after his grandmother died. They smelled awfully familiar, that it brought hot pricking sensation in the back of his eyes, moisture gathering there.

He forgot about Akashi and Midorima who were still standing by the car — his legs brought him to the entrance in slow, uneven steps.

The fragrance of flowers, of the wet soil, the dusts gathering at the corner of the door and the musk of the damp moss growing under the roofs … felt so nostalgic, it overwhelmed him. He couldn't describe the sensation with words, he could only feel it. Gingerly, Kuroko held up a trembling hand and pressed the door bell.

The melody was followed by the sounds of footsteps, excited barks of a dog and the feminine voice of a woman he knew well, telling Nigou not to scratch the door. He didn't know why he couldn't bring himself to just enter the house, as if it wasn't his own.

The door knob turned, the gears clicking. The door flung open. The puppy dog in question took advantage of the slight gap, then launched himself at Kuroko's feet, sniffing and rubbing his furry head at his shins. Kuroko crouched and took Nigou into his arms, stroking his thick tufts. The puppy barked happily and started licking his face, slobbering him with saliva. A few seconds later, a slim black-haired woman in her forties, with blue eyes and a distraught expression emerged from behind the door.

" _Nigou-chan!_  I'm so sorry, our dog just — " She said, lifted her jaw and froze.

"Mom … "

She looked at him, thinner and smaller than he remembered. Her cheeks were hollow and a pair of dark shadows hung beneath her eyes, exhaustion and age written on her visage. He could barely recognise her as the mother he'd see over a week ago.

"Tetsu-chan!" She burst into tears and hugged him, her shoulders trembling. She sobbed and cried and clung to him so tightly he'd thought she would never let go, her voice weak and small, repeating the words 'thank god', 'you're safe', 'I was so scared' and just his name, over and over again.

Kuroko couldn't fight it, warm tears started streaming down his cheeks and he wrapped his arms around her much smaller frame. He could feel the harsh result of her constant worries with his own eyes, and he'd thought what an awful son he'd been.

"I'm sorry, mom … I'm sorry." He choked, he couldn't find anything else to say. She shook her head, but didn't say anything. She gave him a shaky smile, tears beading down in rivulets. The front of his shirt was soaked with her tears, blots of wetness apparent over the white fabric.

He rested his head next to hers, vision blurry and throat jammed with a pressure that choked him. He couldn't stop the tears. How could it be possible to feel so much happiness and grief at the same time?

"I'm home."

—

Akashi and Midorima stayed for an hour to explain of what had occurred in the past week.

He left out the fine details about the werepeople and their intentions for Kuroko. He spun the story that would sound more believable to a Primate, making it seem that the criminal had wanted to use Kuroko and a few of other teenagers in a human-trafficking case. And that the police and his friends worked together to find the criminal's headquarters and busted the operation before anything worse could happen.

Kuroko guessed that was the story the werepeople section of the police department would feed the Primate media, in order to mask the truth of their community. They would need to explain the large-scale arrest that occurred yesterday, which suggested the ones who'd gone after Kuroko earlier in the morning, were from the Werepeople press, less so from the Primate media. They didn't have much cause to chase him around the clock, other than his experience as a victim and witness.

His mother had been mortified and angered, but ultimately she was just happy Kuroko was home safe and sound, even with the few scratches here and there

"Ah, yes. Kagami-san, your friend, promised me he was going to find you. I haven't heard from him in the past few days, I wonder how is he?" She had wondered.

Kuroko swallowed. "He … he's in the hospital. Kagami-kun did find me, but he sustains some injuries during the process." He explained to her a cleaner version of what had happened, that Kagami contacted the others of his abduction and went all the way to find him, then got injured as a result of protecting Kuroko.

His mother had gasped in horror and shock. She made him tell her where Kagami was being hospitalised and declared she would go to visit him to thank the redhead properly. She was very grateful to him. Kuroko began to think maybe she would be the first to support their relationship when they'd decide to come out to her. That was an uplifting thought. It would be trickier with his dad, a Primate and a Japanese, in a community that was still reserved from homosexuality.

But that was a concern for another day.

When his dad came home later on, Kuroko and his mom were in the living room. His dad took a step in the room, seemingly exhausted and weary. He took a look at Kuroko, dropped his leather bag, hurried to him and pulled Kuroko into a tight embrace. It was a few seconds later of faint sounds of his dad sobbing and the trembling shoulders, that made him realise how much his parents had suffered during his captive.

That night, the three of them and Nigou, spent hours together in the living room, only went to bed when it was past midnight.

The strangest thing happened. He found his parents followed him to his bedroom and wouldn't leave until he was tucked in by his mom, while his dad stood by the bedroom door, staring at him with a look of worry as if he'd vanish suddenly. His mother gave him a goodnight kiss — something she hadn't done since he was thirteen. They took their time before leaving the room for good, when they finally left, they had seemed reluctant.

The door wasn't close entirely and he could see, from the slight gap, that his parents were standing outside, mumbling incoherently. They left five minutes later.

His bed was warm. Although, Kuroko found much of Nigou's furs covering the bedsheets and pillows, which prompted him to shoot the puppy a rather annoyed look. "Have you been sleeping on my bed?" He pointed an index at a dog bedding at a corner of the room, next to a bookshelf. "That's your bed. It's big enough for you. And didn't I train you to sleep there?"

Nigou stared at him, cocking his head and whining softly.

Kuroko sighed. Now his bed smelled a lot like Nigou. Nigou was already used to the dog bed he purchased a month ago, because Kuroko's single bed had become too cramped for a growing Husky pup. He'd patiently trained him to use the dog bed for two months, it was unlikely for Nigou to go against his instruction now.

"Did you miss me? Is that why you were sleeping on my bed?" He asked, coming up with a plausible explanation to Nigou's disobedience.

Nigou merely looked at him, then leaned forward to rub his snout against Kuroko's face. He whined in a sad way, placing his head and a paw on the bed next to Kuroko. He couldn't help but to ruffle Nigou's head. "Thanks, Nigou." He smiled. "I bet you've missed Kagami-kun. I miss him, too." The Husky's blue eyes looked into his own, tilting his head as if replying.

"Okay, you can sleep with me tonight. But tomorrow you'll sleep in your own bed." He said, opening the blanket for him to climb to.

Nigou perked up, licked his nose and jumped to his bed, tail wagging. He licked Kuroko's face two more times before settling down, the latter wrapped the blanket around the Husky. He felt warm, nostalgic. It felt like home. Kuroko felt happy. Safe. This was what Kagami intended for him. The redhead knew him so well, sometimes he wondered if he deserved Kagami, he'd been nothing but absolutely wonderful to Kuroko.

"Kagami-kun… Taiga-kun…" Nigou glanced at him and made a quizzical sound.

He chuckled. "Let's sleep. I … want to see him as soon as possible. I don't know if it's tomorrow, but I hope so."

Nigou barked, as if asking if he could go, too. Kuroko laughed. "I can't bring pets into the hospital, I'm sorry." The Husky's ears flopped down in disappointment, whining. "Maybe when he's out of the hospital. We'll take a walk together." Gently, he stroked the Husky's head, along his spines, repeating the soothing pace to console Nigou.

The Husky's eyes fluttered open and close, he let out a big yawn. Kuroko was getting sleepy, as well, everything in this room felt comfortable. The smell, the feel of it — felt so right. He couldn't resist the temptation to close his eyes and drift into slumber. "Good night."

On his right, Nigou made a sound of approval.

—

However, as much as he wanted to meet Kagami again, his mother wasn't willing to let him go just yet.

She made Kuroko stay at home for two whole days. She'd contacted the school to explain about his situation and the school granted him a week off for the purpose of recovering from the incident. He got several texts from Akashi suggesting Kuroko to lay low for a while until the media sensation calmed down somewhat. It looked like the press thought he was being hospitalised, and that was why the neighbourhood was peaceful and there wasn't any nosy reporter. Still, Akashi warned him not to leave the house unless necessary.

Kuroko kept in touch with Kagami via phone calls and texts. When his mother wasn't around, he'd dash for his bedroom and spend hours on the phone with Kagami until his ears burned with the heat of the device, or until he ran out of balance.

He found the normalcy of the situation comforting, and Kagami told him of Furihata, the visitors and how disturbed he was, when he woke up after an afternoon's nap, to find Himuro and Murasakibara making out by his bed. He claimed to have been traumatised by the sight of his childhood friend been dry-humped into a chair by a purple-haired giant. Furihata apparently saw it too, and he couldn't bring himself to look at Himuro or Murasakibara for the rest of the day, face flushing as red as a boiled crab.

He'd laughed at the stories, a little regretful as he wished he had been there himself.

Kuroko was happy to be home, but he was missing Kagami after two days of separation. He wanted to see how Furihata was doing — he also wanted to visit Kasamatsu. But the reporters were still lurking about, so he couldn't go even when he really wanted to. But at least it seemed like Furihata's family had finally visited. His older brother and mom took turns to look after him. Kagami's parents had dropped by as well.

There was another thing happened recently, that he was reluctant to tell Kagami.

The nightmares.

At first, he thought it was due to physical and mental exertion. But since the first night he was home, the disturbing dreams started haunting him. He would wake up in midnight, sweating bullets and labouring for breath, distraught. The visions of the dream became more and more vivid, so much that he couldn't fall back to sleep after being woken up. Even when he was awake at day he could remember the nightmares fairly clearly, for they were of the unpleasant memories from that horrid place he couldn't forget easily.

The third night, it was worse. Visions of chaos, of smears of crimson on the wall, of Furihata's small, weakened body, lying on the ground — and then the nightmare switched, became that of Kagami dying in his arms, the two of them alone in that forest — Kagami wasn't moving and Kuroko was holding him tightly, screaming for help. He screamed until his throat hurt and his voice broke, yet nobody came. The blood gradually created a steady pool around them, while Kagami grew colder and colder. His body bathed in red.

When he woke up from the nightmare with a sudden jolt, tears were spilling out of his eyes, drenching the pillow.

He was shaking, his lips trembled and his shirt was soaked through with sweat. Kuroko had a difficulty in breathing as the gruesome images flashed before his eyelids, his heart beating in his ribcage, hard and harsh, rapid. He could see the red of the blood and the coldness on his fingertips, the warmth fading away along with the chill of the sweat. Nigou was awoken by his sobbing, he'd come to his bedside and stared up at him, whimpering sadly as if asking him what happened.

Kuroko couldn't stop the fear from overloading his senses, it was illogical and uncontrollable. There was a moment in which he thought the dreams were real and that he was merely imagining Kagami's survival, that he was driven to madness from grief. He was scared of the possibility, scared that he'd lost his mind — he wasn't thinking properly, he knew, yet he couldn't stop it.

He reached for his cellphone that was on the bedside table, nearly toppling it down due to his shaking hand. His breathing ragged, vision blurry from the tears — Kuroko had to wipe his eyes to be able to see the screen and dial Kagami's numbers.

 _Be alive, please be alive._ He chanted over and over again in his mind, squeezing his eyes shut and tightening the hold around the phone. It took a while. The dial tone kept beeping repeatedy, for what seemed to be an eternity, before the line was picked up and he heard Kagami's sluggish voice.

He didn't stop himself when he started weeping, meanwhile Kagami sounded increasingly panicked, from across the line.

After he'd calmed down, Kuroko explained himself, ashamed for being emotional over a nightmare — over practically  _nothing_. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. It's so late, too." He whispered into the phone, a hand clutched his chest. Nigou lifted his jaw from Kuroko's lap to stare at him, blinking sadly. Stroking him made Kuroko felt better, calmer.

Kagami was silent as he listened to him, only speaking after he was done. "Kuroko, can you come here? Akashi said there's gonna be a press conference about the case. The reporters won't be around." He told him. "You can come tomorrow."

He bit his lips.

He wanted to go, badly. Kuroko wanted to see Kagami with his own eyes, feel the heat of his skin with his fingers, to make sure he was alive and well. It was an excruciating need.

"I'll come." He said. His voice was a little too soft. "Tomorrow, I'll be there."

The day after, despite his mother's insistent for him to stay at home. At noon, a car came by to pick him up. Another ordinary, small car that didn't look out of place. He guessed Kagami had asked Akashi to send a car for him as a precaution. Just as he was about to climb into the car with one leg in, Nigou stopped him, biting the hem of his jeans and refused to let go.

"Nigou…" The Husky kept tugging, growling lowly. Kuroko had to stop for a moment to persuade the dog to let him go. "I have to go see Kagami-kun." Nigou looked at him, whimpered and barked twice, his ears flopped down.

"… do you want to come with me?" It was a mere guess, yet the way the Husky perked his ears and wagged his tail enthusiastically, was a clear answer to that question.

Kuroko took a moment to ponder his decision. Indeed, he felt much better if he wasn't alone, but the hospital wouldn't let Nigou come inside the building. Kuroko could leave him outside, maybe under a shaded tree in the garden area. In truth, he was reluctant to go to the hospital, especially alone, as the place roused certain unpleasant memories and forced him to be alert, cautious, for no apparent reason. This paranoia was starting to gnaw at his conscience.

In the end, Kuroko went back into his house to retrieve Nigou's leash and harness, putting it on before allowing the dog to enter the car. Thankfully, the driver didn't seem to mind Nigou's presence. The latter had grown quite a lot lately, he seemed larger than the last time Kuroko saw him before the abduction.

Nigou had behaved well during the ride, obediently lying his head on Kuroko's lap as the latter stroked his fluffy head.

There didn't seem any sign of disturbance, when they arrived in the hospital. The front gates were open for public and everything looked normal. The outer parking lot was fairly empty, which was why the driver chose a spot near the entrance of the hospital. Kuroko held Nigou's leash, opened the door and stepped out, the Husky jumped off the seat and onto the asphalt road.

He wondered whether he'd have to leave Nigou outside of the hospital, yet he didn't want to leave him alone for a couple of hours. Maybe, just maybe, the hospital would allow him to at least accompany Kuroko a little bit more? It wouldn't hurt to ask.

A kindly nurse in the front lobby reception instructed him that the hospital would only allow therapy dogs to enter the hospital. However, since Nigou wasn't a trained therapy dog, he couldn't be allowed to enter the building due to risks of causing disturbance. With a heavy heart, Kuroko went out to the parking lot to find the driver and asked whether he could take care of Nigou in the mean time, which the driver, a man in his fifties, smiled and accepted the leash. He said he had two dogs at home and he'd gladly watch Nigou for him.

Nigou had whined petulantly for being left alone. Kuroko could only apologise and promised him that he wouldn't be long.

As he strolled along the hospital's seemingly identical hallways, Kuroko had to push down the feelings of discomfort. He'd kept his gaze down, taking long, steady breaths, self-consciously listening to the sounds around him for signs of danger. It was odd. He knew there was no need to feel alarmed, but he couldn't help himself. All he needed to do was look at the immaculately clean, white walls and porcelain floors — smell the unnatural scents of drugs and chemicals, then a sense of inexplicable anxiety grew from within.

 _You may be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder._  He remembered Akashi told him to check himself to a doctor and consider doing therapy. Kuroko began to think that wouldn't be a bad idea.

When he entered the patient room, the moment he saw Kagami, Murasakibara and Furihata's faces, smiling and greeting him — Kuroko felt a surge of relief washing over him.

"Hey." The redhead grinned, his cheeks had regained its healthy colours. "Took you long enough. I was dying of loneliness."

Furihata looked much better, the bruises on his face had partially faded off. He beamed at him, a bright smile plastered on his face. "Kuroko! It's been a while! How are you?"

"Hello, Kuro-chin." Murasakibara waved, lips peppered with crumbs of chips.

Kuroko gave them a smile for each of them, walking over towards Kagami's bed past Murasakibara's chair. "Kagami-kun. How are you?" He called him, the name rolled out of his mouth like silky honey. The redhead smiled and took his hand, lightly squeezing it.

"I feel much better now." Kagami looked up at him, flashing his teeth. "I've been taking my medicines and eating all my food. I can get off the bed and walk by myself. Don't I get a reward for good behaviour?"

He flushed a little. "… when you're well enough, then yes. You will." Kuroko said, in a soft whisper. He turned his head to Furihata to greet him. "Furihata-kun, how are you — ?"

He almost halted in mid-question when he noticed another person in the room. Sitting on a chair by the brunette's bed, was a young man with brown hair and freckled cheeks. He looked older, possessing features familiar to Furihata's own, except his jaw was sharper and the light freckles. The stranger stared at him back, smiling lopsidedly. He hadn't noticed due to the bed curtain and the angle from the entrance.

Furihata noticed the look, offering him an explanatory smile. "Oh, this is my older bro. Aniki, this is Kuroko, I told you all about him." He gave his sibling a light nudge.

The young man stood up and cocked his head. The smile was still attached, as he bowed slightly in introduction. Kuroko immediately returned the gesture. "Yeah, the ghostly kid with the awesome play right? I watched your matches. I'm Furihata Keisuke, nice to meet you. Pretty sure my lil' bro's been a bother to ya. Sorry about that."

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you. And um, on contrary, Furihata-kun has helped me quite a number of times. He's no bother at all." Kuroko paused, frowning. "If anything, I should be the one to apologise — "

"What for?" The older Furihata cut him off. "I heard the story from Kou. Is this about how he got hurt? He's a dude. He could take a beating or two! Don'tcha, Kou?" He laughed good-naturedly, then proceeded to grab Furihata by his head and ruffled his hair, roughly. The latter winced and half-begged him to stop, flushing embarrassedly.

"Aniki! Stop that!" He semi-shouted, face red.

The older brother grinned, patting him in a gentler manner. "Good job, Kou. You protected your friend. That's real cool."

Furihata appeared to flush darker, for a different reason. They seemed to get along well, Kuroko thought, how nice. He was an only child and this was something at some point in life, had wanted for himself. It seemed like the brunette was doing better. "You really are. Cool. Furihata-kun."

"Oh, stop it! You guys are embarrassing me." Furihata shook his head and gaped, mumbling softly.

"Always worried for someone else. Come on, sit down." Without warning, Kagami tugged his arm, urging him to sit on the side of the bed, slightly over his lap. The position was a little suggestive, really, with Kagami loosely circling his arms around his waist and face closing in. "Tell me how you've been. I missed you."

"Oops, better give them some privacy."

Kuroko heard the older Furihata whispered, reaching out to grab the hem of the curtain and dragging it to cover the side where Furihata's bed was. As if agreeing, Murasakibara nodded lazily, getting off his chair and leaving the room after declaring he was going to look for Himuro in the cafeteria.

Everyone was being considerate, and that was embarrassing.

Ignoring, the heat on his cheeks, Kuroko started explaining. "I … came here with Nigou, he's outside now, with Akashi's driver … Nigou's been a little insistent on accompanying everywhere, lately. My mom too, she wanted me to stay home and had been cooking my favourite foods because she said I was too skinny. Dad's been like usual. But he keeps staring at me when I wasn't looking… I haven't been going out at all. Seirin's giving me a week off to rest."

"Hmm," Kagami hummed, the tip of his nose was touching his neck. He was breathing in Kuroko's scent. "They missed you. I can only imagined how worried they were when you were missing."

"I know." Kuroko said, voice a little strained. "When I saw her again, my mom looked like she hadn't been sleeping for days. And she's so thin."

"Hey, that's not your fault, okay?"

Kagami pulled back slightly to look at him. A hand went up to caress his cheek. "She loves you, of course she'd be worried. You're no worse for wear either. You're so thin, and look at these dark circles — " He made a point by brushing a thumb over the under side of his left eye. He frowned. "You've been having nightmares."

Kuroko swallowed.

"Yes."

The redhead fell silent. "I don't want to remind you of it since last night you sounded so … scared." He inhaled sharply. "Tell me about the nightmares. Take it slow, though. If it's too much to talk about, you don't have to tell me." He told Kuroko, tone gentle and soft, slipping into a whisper.

Truthfully, he didn't want to remember the nightmare. The images were still fresh in his mind, still affecting him. But Kagami was right in front of him, the real Kagami. Alive. Breathing. His hand was warm. Kuroko took a deep breath, before speaking. "I … I don't mind, but … I can't tell you about… details. I don't want to remember it." He stated.

Kagami nodded. "Just general explanation is alright by me."

So Kuroko told him. About the memories of the institution, about the images and visions, distorted by the dreams and changed into his worst fear. It was unsettling, unnerving. They genuinely terrified him, how seemingly realistic they felt. How vivid it had been, the pain he felt jamming in his throat, as he screamed in the dream. How he feared that the dream was real and the reality was merely a wishful delusion.

He was scared of losing Kagami, of hurting his friends again. He didn't want to have to feel that way, to see the nightmares came alive at night every time he closed his eyes. Sleep became something he didn't look forward to at the end of the day. He didn't feel save, walking outside alone. Not because of the reporters, but because he felt anxious, as if danger was waiting him in every corner of the streets — his beastly instincts were constantly on alert, his senses subconsciously became sharper, overloading his head.

That was why Kuroko didn't leave his house for three whole days. Nigou accompanied him today, which was something he found soothing, and the thought of seeing Kagami was enough motivation to brave the outside world again.

"This is bad." Kagami commented after his explanation. "Besides the fact that you've had a traumatic experience, we also need to fix the issue with your animal instincts. Right now, you're on survival mode, are you?"

Kuroko paused, thinking over the question. Although he didn't feel immediate danger, but the signs of anxiety and constant anticipation were there. "I wouldn't say that I can differentiate it just yet, but I do feel like I'm more … on edge lately. Maybe a bit irritable." He admitted. "Is that a problem?"

Kagami sighed, idly playing with a stray strand of hair on Kuroko's face.

"It's a worse problem for us, because we're Werepeople. Our animal instincts mingled with that of human psychology — in short, if you're anxious and anticipating danger for long periods of time, it could get out of hand. Because then the animal side of us, could overwhelm the human rationality, since you're in a defensive mode. Have you heard of a cornered rat that'll bite back? That's you right now. There's a possibility if we don't quickly calm the instincts first, you could hurt yourself or other people in a fit of panic."

It took him a few moments to let the information sink in. "I… I did not know that." Kuroko said, lowering his gaze. "I thought I would consider Akashi-kun's suggestion to seek therapy session."

"That'll be helpful. Although I'm more worried because you've been having the nightmares and the anxiety, instead of relieved of all this mess." Two red eyes looked into Kuroko, the centre seemed to waver, in a pool of dark red. He patted his head. "It's just that, distress is more dangerous to us, Werepeople, than it is to Primates. Sometimes it's a pain."

Kuroko fell silent. Post-Traumatic Stress was worse for Werepeople, he repeated the info in his mind. Because they could transform at any moment, he could've hurt someone due to paranoia.

"Not to eavesdrop on you or anything, but Kou's been having consultation with a psychiatrist."

Keisuke's head peeked out from the curtain of Furihata's bed. Meanwhile, he could hear Furihata's hushed whispers about how rude his older brother was being. The older Furihata opened the curtain, revealing himself and a mildly horrified younger Furihata behind him.

The older guy ignored his younger brother, facing Kagami and Kuroko, one thumb pointing over his shoulder towards Furihata's direction. "How about you guys go together? It's not a bad idea, and I think it's better since you said you don't feel safe being alone, right?"

… just how much did he listen to? Kuroko brushed away the thought.

"I don't know, if Furihata-kun doesn't mind…" He hesitated, glancing at the younger brunette.

Furihata perked up. "No! Of course I don't mind! We can go together." He flashed him a nervous smile, gaze darting at his older brother.

Keisuke grinned. "Okay, that's settled. The sooner the better, right?"

Kagami flinched, he grumbled irritatedly because the mood had been changed suddenly. "Stealing my lines …" Kuroko heard him grumble, sticking out his bottom lip in secret. He couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Alright, but I think I have to inform my mom about this first. I'll contact you soon, Furihata-kun." He said, smiling. He felt better already.

He spent two hours chatting with Kagami, Furihata and his brother, until Kuroko realised he couldn't stay for long because his mother would start worrying — she had been rather too paranoid lately — and right on the point, she called his cell to ask when would Kuroko come home. Besides, Nigou would whine nonstop for being left alone for hours with a stranger. He bade goodbye to them, his heart heavy with the thought of having to leave Kagami, so soon.

"I'll come back tomorrow." Kuroko promised, running a hand over Kagami's face. The redhead had his hands over Kuroko's waist, smiling up at him.

"I'll be waiting."

After making sure the Furihata brothers were averting their eyes on purpose, Kuroko shyly leaned down to kiss Kagami. It was slow and sweet, nothing lustful, full of feelings that they couldn't properly communicate in front of others. He would prefer they be alone, but Kagami was still unwell. They withdrew and exchanged looks one more time, smiling to each other. "See you." The redhead whispered.

Kuroko smiled. "I'll see you."

Nigou was happily barking when he returned to the parking lot, tugging at his leash to run after Kuroko. He crouched and petted the excited puppy, letting him slobber and lick his face. "We'll be back tomorrow." He told Nigou, which the puppy answered with another loud bark, tail wagging excitedly.

—

The next day, Kuroko visited the hospital with his mother.

The same driver and the same car picked them up in front of their house, which made her wonder, Kuroko made an excuse that the car was a precaution by the police. Which she accepted and didn't really question, much to his relief. Nigou was left back home this time, to keep the house occupied. The puppy wasn't happy about it. He was the protector of their home, Kuroko reminded him, which made him jolt up with pride, letting the two leave with a sense of purpose.

The car parked in the basement of the hospital today, because there were a few reporters lurking about. Surprisingly, the first thing his mother said when they arrived, was that she wanted to see Kagami immediately.

"I want to thank him. Why, he was so nice to offer his sympathy back when he called! You don't see such good manners in young boys nowadays. He was so attentive when you were missing, so reassuring." She chirped, having taken a shine on Kagami after Kuroko told her how he was the reason he was able to go home. "In fact, you've told me a lot about him, but I've barely seen him. Is he a handsome boy, Tetsu-chan?"

"I um, yes, Kagami-kun is … quite attractive." He was  _very_  attractive, in fact. To be honest, to Kuroko, Kagami was always the most attractive man in the room. He blushed at such an embarrassing idea, which his mother noticed and pointed out, his heated cheeks must have looked flushed.

She smiled. "Well, I'd love to meet him in person. Tetsu-chan you always looked so animated when you were talking about him."

"I — I did?" He sweated a little. He wasn't ready to confess anything to his mom yet, so he opted silence as his mother went on about random things she'd like to speak with Kagami.

He'd texted Kagami last night, about his mother coming to the hospital, yet the redhead still went completely stiff at the sight of them entering the room. Kuroko could practically see the beads of cold sweat dribbling down his temples. He noticed the shirt Kagami was wearing wasn't the usual pyjamas, instead it was a grey sweatshirt with no. 5 emblazoned at the front, looking freshly ironed. He couldn't see his pants because Kagami was confined in bed. His hair was tidier too, and there was a faint fragrance of cologne that was vaguely familiar to how Himuro smelled.

"Ah, Kagami-san and Furihata-san, is it? Good afternoon, I am Tetsuya's mother." She greeted the both of them, smiling politely.

Furihata gave a slight bow, smiling. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm Furihata Kouki, Tetsuya-kun's teammate."

Meanwhile, Kagami's movement was stiff and awkward. He kept stammering his words.

"M - m - my name is T - Taiga. Nice to meet you, ma'am." Kagami cleared his throat, then gestured a hand towards a chair that was inexplicably covered with white cloth and a small cushion for the seating. Kuroko didn't remember it being that way yesterday. "Please, have a seat. W - would you like something to drink?"

She took a seat just as offered, but refused the drink. "Oh, how thoughtful! But you shouldn't have, I feel bad for barging in all of the sudden. I'm here to thank you for helping Tetsuya, I'm so grateful … "

While they chatted, Kuroko and Furihata had to go for the doctor's appointment. The brunette was well enough to walk around on his own with a pair of crutches, even though he was slow, Kuroko patiently guided him by his side. Furihata instructed him the directions. They got the patient numbers from the registration counter and waited until it was Kuroko's turn for consultation. There were some other people in the waiting bench outside of the clinic, which prompted random thoughts of guesses what kind of psychological problems they had.

They had a separate psychiatrist for the Werepeople, due to the difference in the nature of their mental states with that of the Primates. Kuroko learned more and more, every day. To think he was that much ignorant of his own community. He wouldn't have thought that having stronger bestial instincts meant mental illness could prove to be worse for the Werepeople.

They went in when his numbers flashed on the digital board. Kuroko and Furihata sat down before the doctor's desk, then the doctor proceeded to ask him a few questions such as family's history with mental illness or depression. After the questions were answered, he allowed Kuroko to explain himself.

The first thing he told the doctor was of the kidnapping, of the horrible things he'd witnessed, then the nightmares, the inexplicable anxiety and the flashes of memories that were triggered by certain things, like the sight of the hospital corridors and the smell of antiseptic. His fists were clenching and unclenching on his lap when Kuroko explained he was unable to sleep at night because of the nightmares, and the lack of sleep made his anxiety and paranoia worse.

Furihata gave him a look of sympathy, trying to give him words of encouragement to let his feelings out.

The doctor scribbled on his notes and nodded along with his explanation. After Kuroko was done, the doctor put down his notebook, placing his folded arms over the desk.

"You have PTSD." He started. "It's not a improbable case. You've gone through a kidnapping and witnessed abuse. It's a common cause." That confirmed everybody's suspicion.

"However, it doesn't seem like I'd need to prescribe medications for your symptoms. I'll recommend attending several therapy sessions, before deciding whether antidepressants are necessary." He gave him a calm smile. "Don't worry, Kuroko-san. PTSD can be cured with proper treatments and with time. If you want, I can speak to your family and explain to them the steps necessary for your recovery, such as activities you may try to participate or support groups you can join. It's important to have strong support in your surroundings."

Kuroko sighed deeply. "Thank you. It's reassuring."

The doctor scribbled something on a small notebook, ripped off the page and gave it to nurse next to him. She accepted the note and pinned the paper onto a file. "We can start the session as soon as possible. However, I believe as a student you may need to adjust your schedule before making appointments. Please do keep that in mind."

He nodded. "I will. Thank you very much."

The two left the clinic after that.

"I … have nightmares too." Furihata mentioned, with a small voice, as they strolled along a rather empty hallway. He gave Kuroko a weak smile. "Actually, I've been waking up at night and couldn't fall back to sleep. I don't think Kagami noticed though. He usually sleeps like a log, unless it's Kuroko's Special Ringtone playing."

… Kagami had a special ringtone for him? That was new. "You didn't tell him?" He asked.

Furihata shook his head. "I didn't want to make him worry." He looked down, his movement with the crutches was awkward and slow. "I didn't tell Aniki either, but he knew. He noticed the dark circles. Um, Akashi did, too. Though he only visits in the evening …" His cheeks reddened slightly, then he suddenly laughed as if remembering something funny.

"Aniki thought Akashi was creepy." He said, when Kuroko threw him a questioning glance. "He whispered to me 'that guy gives me the creeps, what's with him?' on their first meeting, can you believe that? He's so rude."

Well, Akashi could indeed be a little strange at times. Nobody really knew what he was thinking. The older Furihata's guess might not be too far off from that — and the younger Furihata's opinions on the current Akashi might've been the result of the redhead's efforts to bury the shovel of the previous fiasco with his other personality.

As long as Akashi did nothing hurtful to Furihata, Kuroko was fine with it. Although he did find his romantic attraction for the brunette was rather surprising.

"Ah," Kuroko said, remembering something. He turned to Furihata. "I forgot, I've been wanting to visit Kasamatsu-san. How is he? Has he been well?"

"Kasamatsu-san? Well, he's fine, but…" Furihata hesitated, looking like he was trying to find the right words to describe. "I'm not really sure. I visit him every day and he 'seems' fine every time. But … I don't know, I just don't think that it's true."

He stared at the brunette, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. "What do you mean?"

Furihata sighed. "In short, I don't think Kasamatsu-san is really alright. I mean, he's been through what we did and he has added problems, but … somehow. The way he's acting. He's awfully calm. It's strange." His gaze lowered. "I mean, Kuroko, even you weren't actually that composed during the whole thing, were you? I'm not sure if Kasamatsu-san has ever let go of the bad things since we're freed. Like he's avoiding the subject."

In a second, Kuroko knew what Furihata meant.

"I'd like to visit Kasamatsu-san." Kuroko told him. "Furihata-kun, would you come with me, or…?"

"I'll go with you. I haven't visited him today." The other boy nodded.

Furihata navigated them through the way to Kasamatsu's room. The room was on a different floor from where Kagami and Furihata resided, as it was located close to the nursery for the Werepeople children. He caught a glimpse of the newborn cubs and hatchlings sleeping inside of their beds or incubators, wondering whether Kasamatsu would go out of his room and take a look at the babies by himself. They were small, helpless and needy. Kuroko couldn't imagine having children so young in age.

A nurse opened up the locked corridor for them, which both thanked her for. Furihata told him Kasamatsu's room was at the end of the hall, in which Kuroko nodded, chest raising in anticipation.

In front of the door, Furihata knocked three times first and announced themselves. "Kasamatsu-san. Fuyuki-kun. It's Furihata and Kuroko, may we come in?"

 _Fuyuki?_  Kuroko didn't recognise that name.

The door flung open just as he was about to ask Furihata, revealing a tall dark-haired boy with steely blue eyes and a face that looked awfully familiar — like Kasamatsu, he realised. The boy looked a lot like Kasamatsu, only taller and his eyebrows were thinner. There was an absent of several hard lines on his forehead, making him look like a younger version of the former Kaijou Captain. His hairstyle was different too, slightly longer.

"Come in." The boy sidestepped, opening the door for them. Kuroko helped Furihata get through the cramped door, all the while staring at the unfamiliar person in the room. The more he looked at him, the more he found similarities.

More so when he caught the sight of Kasamatsu in bed, smiling at them. "Hey, Furihata. Kuroko. I haven't seen you for a while, how are you?" He asked, Before he noticed the way Kuroko stare at the unfamiliar, he added with a chuckle. "That's Fuyuki. My younger brother. Fuyu, introduce yourself."

The boy named Fuyuki cocked his head to one side, his lips remained in a thin line as he introduced himself. "Kasamatsu Fuyuki. Second year student of Sannan Middle School. Nice to meet you, Kuroko Tetsuya-san."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Kuroko bowed slightly out of politeness, then he lifted his chin. Wait, he hadn't introduced his name yet. "You know my name…?"

"Your name is everywhere on the news right now, though they blurred your face. I know because I watched your matches with Nii-san's team." He answered, seemingly disinterested, but a short smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Your techniques are really unique. You're a Small Forward, correct? I'm also an SF in my own team. The way you support your Ace impressed me."

"Ah, thank you. Kasamatsu-kun. I'm glad you think so."

"Fuyuki is alright."

"Fuyuki-kun, then." Kuroko returned his smile. He looked around the room, finding there were only the four of them present. "Um, is Kise-kun not around? I'd thought he would be here."

Suddenly, the smile on Fuyuki's visage fell. Slight creases appeared in between knitted eyebrows, his demeanour changed in a fraction of a second. "He's not here." He said, tone a little harsh. He sighed and threw an irritated look on the floor, frowning. "Nii-san has enough problems, he doesn't need that deadbeat around to mess things up — "

" _FUYUKI!_ "

Kasamatsu's yell resounded in the room, drawing the other three's attention. Kasamatsu looked angry, glaring at the younger Kasamatsu heatedly.

"Watch your mouth. You're in front of the guests." He growled. Fuyuki flinched and backed off — the displeased look was apparent on his face, but he didn't say anything. Both Kuroko and Furihata were silent, feeling the tension had tightened in the room. After a short moment, Kasamatsu sighed. "… go on. You said you were hungry, go find something to eat. I'm going to talk with Kuroko and Furihata."

Fuyuki lifted his chin and looked at Kasamatsu, wanting to apologise. "Nii-san — "

"Go. Now." Kasamatsu firmly said.

The younger brother didn't dare to object. He quietly looked down, turned on his heels and left the room without any word.

"Sorry you had to see that." Kasamatsu sighed, rubbing the flat of his forehead tiredly. "Please excuse my little brother, he's in a difficult age right now. He gets irritated with the smallest things, and the language he's using — I'm sorry, you're not here for that. Please take a seat." He gave them an apologetic smile, gesturing to the chairs by the bed side.

"Don't mind it, Kasamatsu-san. How are you feeling?" Kuroko asked soon after he'd taken a seat.

"I'm alright. Thank you for the concern. How are you, Kuroko? I haven't seen you in a while." Kasamatsu smiled at him, although it had looked slightly lethargic. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, signs of sleep deprivation. Kuroko couldn't help but to feel sorry for him.

"I have some … problems, regarding the Post-Traumatic Stress." He explained a brief version of what had been going on, recently. Kasamatsu and Furihata listened quietly, the former's expression turned serious when he told them of his nightmares and anxiety. "But it shouldn't be that bad, I'm planning to attend therapy sessions with Furihata-kun. Everyone recommends it." He finished, glancing at Kasamatsu.

"Kasamatsu-san, maybe you should see a doctor about this concern as well, just as a precaution. Our circumstances were unique and there are bound to be issues in the aftermath of the case." He urged, slowly. "It won't hurt to check, because in the end it's about your health, both mental and physical aspects of it."

The older Kasamatsu was quiet, seemingly thoughtful.

"You're right. I'll consider it. I've been under a lot of stress." He sighed, staring absently at the wrinkled bedsheets. He heaved a heavy sigh. "… things haven't been going so well, lately. The issues with Kise, my family and … the pregnancy. You've seen how Fuyuki reacted. My brothers were furious, so were my parents, when they found out." He bit his lips, fingers clenching at the sheets. The furrows between his eyebrows deepened, jawline tight. He clenched his eyes shut.

"I just feel so … helpless. I can't control the situation anymore."

It was an expected reaction, yet it didn't make things better. Kuroko was more than a little irritated with Kise, not only because he'd made Kasamatsu suffer, but also because he was the blonde's friend and he'd unknowingly helped him accomplish this. Kuroko made a mental note to give Kise a piece of his mind later, although now the most important thing was to help Kasamatsu go through this. He felt responsible, as part of the cause.

"Kasamatsu-san, have you talked to Kise about this? About the baby? I mean, I always heard same-sex pregnancy is difficult and expensive. But I don't know about it much 'cos it's still rare in Japan." Furihata asked, he had worry written all over his face.

"Yes, Kasamatsu-san. If you wish to speak with Kise-kun, I can relay the message for you." Kuroko offered. It didn't seem like his younger brothers would allow Kise to enter the room without clashing with each other, if he'd read Fuyuki's reaction right. "I think you two need to talk about this."

Kasamatsu's frown tightened. "We haven't spoken for a few days, since … since my family found out. I haven't seen or heard from him."

… that idiotic blonde, Kuroko swore to hit him again in the face next time they met. "Please. If you want to hit him, I'll gladly do it for you." Kuroko deadpanned, quietly fuming. "I can't believe he hasn't called — Kise-kun might be irresponsible, but I am  _very_  disappointed with him right now."

"It's not him. It's me."

Kuroko blinked. He'd thought he misheard it when Kasamatsu spoke. "You — what? What do you mean, Kasamatsu-san?"

"I'm the one who pushed him away." The older boy stared at his balled fists, ashamed. "He called and texted me several times, but … I wanted to be alone, so I didn't reply him. With Fuyu or Aki around, Kise can't come to visit either. I told him to go home, after I told my family I'm pregnant."

He looked at Kasamatsu, confused. "Why would you do that? Why … push him away? I thought you and Kise-kun are going to make it work?"

Kasamatsu didn't reply immediately.

"He's young." He choked out, voice so small it was barely above a whisper. "Kise … is only seventeen. How could I — how could I drag him down with this? He has a bright future ahead of him. I … I shouldn't be ruining that chance."

Kuroko didn't understand. "Kasamatsu-san, the one who caused this in the first place is Kise. It's not your fault, why are you speaking as if it is? " He paused when Kasamatsu shifted his gaze, and he thought he caught something odd from the way he looked. He fell silent, an idea crossed his mind.

"… then, why don't you get rid of it? Have an abortion."

Furihata sharply turned to him, gaping. "Kuroko!? What are you talking about?"

Kasamatsu lifted his gaze and stared at Kuroko, wide-eyed. Kuroko ignored the brunette, and continued. "It's a logical solution. After all, the pregnancy was unintentional, at least on your part. With the way it is now, it could be hazardous to your health and you have to think of the economy hardship of having an unplanned child at such a young age. This way, you and Kise-kun do not have to suffer from this. You don't have to force yourself."

"Kuroko, that's … but, that's…" Furihata never finished what he tried to say. From the look on his face, he knew what Kuroko said made sense. They both looked at the older boy and waited for his reaction with anticipation.

Kasamatsu seemed baffled, gaze downcast, a hand clutched his stomach.

" … no." He uttered, voice trembling. "I don't want to abort."

"Why?"

He looked at Kuroko in the eyes, dark pupils blown. "I — because — " He stuttered. "This is … Kise's …"

Kuroko sighed. "Yes, indeed it is Kise-kun's child. But the one who carries the child is you. Your body is yours, Kasamatsu-san. It is not his." He calmly said. "Or, if you wish to give birth to the child, there is also an option to hand the baby to Kise-kun's family or put the baby up for adoption. There're plenty of options available — "

Unexpectedly, Kasamatsu overreacted, wrapping his arms around his stomach possessively and features turning savage in a matter of seconds.

" _NO! I won't give it up!_ "

He roared, throat rumbling with vibration. The yelled echoed in the empty space and rattled the surface of the stilled water of a clear glass on the table. Both Kuroko and Furihata were stunned. Kasamatsu himself looked surprised by his own actions. Slowly, he regained his human features — tears had started welling up in his eyes, one drop trickled down his cheek.

Kasamatsu quickly wiped it away and averted his gaze.

"I won't give it up … this baby is … mine." He whispered without looking at either of them. The arms were still folded over his belly.

Kuroko tightened his lips. He had gotten the answer to his pondering. But perhaps he had gone too far. "I see. I'm sorry, Kasamatsu-san. I didn't mean to upset you. Please forgive me." He stood up and bowed deeply. He felt guilty. Awful.

When he straightened his back, Kasamatsu was smiling at him. A troubled, hesitant smile. "No, you … you made a fair point, really. There are other options. But I — I guess I need time to think it over." He breathed in, his eyes were devoid of emotion. " … could you two please leave me alone? I'd like to rest." He rubbed his temples. He looked very exhausted.

"Of course. My mom is waiting for me as well. Let's go, Furihata-kun."

Kuroko pulled up the bemused brunette's arm, bowed once more and bade his goodbye, he apologised once again before he left the room, in which Kasamatsu responded with a wave of his hand. He dragged Furihata outside of the room, sighing heavily once he door closed behind him. They started walking off — it wasn't a lie that he said his mother was waiting for him, although she currently had Kagami as companion. She wouldn't be rushing to go home any time soon.

"That was really awful of me." He murmured to himself. "I should've known better than to do that, but I had to make sure … "

"Make sure of what? You were acting really strange back there, Kuroko. I didn't expect you'd say things like that to Kasamatsu-san." Furihata pointed out, for once he looked visibly annoyed, features twisted in unconcealed irritation.

Kuroko gave him an apologetic look. "I had to make sure of Kasamatsu-san's feelings for Kise-kun. I wasn't sure if he feels the same for him." He admitted. After all, Kasamatsu was hard to read. Although, provoking someone under intense stress wasn't the most ethical method to do so.

"Oh, I guess I can understand that." Furihata caught up beside him with his crutches. "One would wonder why Kasamatsu-san would date someone like Kise … they're kind of … very contrasting."

"They really are." He nodded in agreement. "The difference in age and in personality. I was trying to seek the root of their problem, it seems to me that they have a lot of miscommunication issues. Kise-kun's tendency to appear frivolous and shallow could be the cause of mistrust, but Kasamatsu-san … he's different. How many siblings does he have, Furihata-kun?"

"Huh? Oh, um, two younger brothers. Fuyuki the one we met earlier, and Akira, they're about same age, several months apart. If I'm not wrong. I met them both around two days ago when I dropped by to visit Kasamatsu-san. I also met Kasamatsu-san's mother."

"I see." Kuroko could see a pattern here. Kasamatsu Yukio was the eldest of three. The Former Captain of Kaijou. The third year senior. It was so obvious. "That's why he's like that, Kasamatsu-san."

Gave up his desires for the younger siblings. Shouldered the burden as the Captain. Carried the responsibility as the senior. If Kise had a childish arrogance, Kasamatsu possessed an  _adult's pride_  — he took everything upon himself, never let anyone see his weakness. The oldest, the most reliable, the most mature — a pride that could  _break_  him when the accumulation built up far too much, especially when he was barely of age. A kid with the mind of an adult. How long had he been like that?

For someone like that to genuinely fall in love with Kise … he didn't know whether it was a good thing, or not.

"Kasamatsu-san won't opt for abortion or adoption, because it's Kise-kun's child." Kuroko concluded. "… I just hope things will become better for them."

 _For everyone._  Kuroko could only hope.

—

The doctor suggested to start the counselling session soon, the next day he went to the hospital.

"Just an introductory session, nothing serious yet." The doctor had smiled kindly. "It's a way to make you more familiar with the idea of opening up. Of course, it won't take long. I will give you a referral to a good therapist. She is specialised in the treatment of trauma and PTSD. If you're not comfortable with the session, I can refer you to a different person."

The doctor plucked a card from a box and handed it to Kuroko, which he accepted, reading the name and the contact details typed neatly on the champagne-coloured surface.  _Enoki Shizuka_ , a psychiatrist and professional counsellor. The doctor told him to book an appointment with the clinic by phone. The address to her practice was noted as part of the contact details.

"Thank you, doctor." Kuroko chatted with him about the appointment, then he left, twenty minutes later. The card was in his pocket.

Of course, he still had nightmares at night. Kuroko couldn't get a peaceful slumber after he was woken up in midnight, trembling and sweating bullets — the memories came back every day as if to punish him. Relentless and cruel. He couldn't stop it. As he was shaking, Kuroko would call Kagami. He wanted to make sure the dream stayed a dream, that it hadn't seeped into reality. Kagami would answer before the third dial tone finished as if he was anticipating it. He'd stay in the line for hours, until Kuroko was calm enough to sleep again.

Nigou also stayed by his side. Kuroko found it soothing to have him around, thus he allowed the Husky to sleep with him more and more often. He was comforted by the warmth of Nigou's body, the nightmares weren't so cruel when he was next to him. Kuroko was able to fall asleep better, after he'd cooled down.

In the other hand, it turned out that his mother was quite fond of Kagami. She couldn't stop talking about the redhead and the good things she had to say about him.

"Kagami-san is so nice, he's offered me drinks when he couldn't move by himself. It was so adorably thoughtful of him. And do you know that he's living on his own? He said he's used to cooking and housekeeping, such rare qualities in a man!" She'd gushed as Kuroko helped her wash the dishes. "Oh, Tetsu-chan, if only you were a girl, Kagami-san would be the perfect boyfriend I'd want you to bring home and introduce to me!"

Meanwhile, Kuroko was coughing violently to mask the sudden choked noises his throat had abruptly produced.

Kuroko smiled fondly when he remembered the scene last night, turning the knob to get into Kagami and Furihata's room. He wondered whether he'd go to visit Kasamatsu, because the latter would be discharged today.

"Hey, Kuroko. How was it? Are you okay?" Furihata immediately greeted him, looking concerned. He was referring to the anxiety Kuroko felt when walking alone in the hospital corridors — which he was still experiencing, but the clinic wasn't that far away to begin with. The exposure wasn't intense.

"I'm alright." He smiled, taking a seat on a chair by Kagami's bed side.

He looked around the room, the older Furihata wasn't present. "Aniki's out to buy food in the cafeteria. I got a little hungry and the hospital food is bland…" Furihata explained, before he asked. The brunette smiled sheepishly.

"You just missed Akashi and Midorima, they left like five minutes ago."

Kagami was devouring a bunch of meat buns presumably Himuro had smuggled from the cafeteria. Kuroko frowned, but didn't say anything. The hospital meal portion wasn't enough for the redhead's enormous appetite, anyway.

"Akashi-kun and Midorima-kun were here? I thought Akashi-kun only visits in evening." Because Akashi was busy taking care of the investigation and the court charges against the hospital, now that in the future, said institution would have shared ownership with Akashi's family — only if they managed to get it back, legally. Which was why he could only visit after the day ended.

Kagami swallowed first, before he replied. "Yeah, well. They only dropped by to tell us a few instructions." He said. His voice took a grim tone.

"Instructions…? Is it about the press conference from the other day?"

"… yes and no." He put away the plate. Kagami went still for a few seconds, ears twitching. Furihata looked awfully quiet, all of a sudden. "Good, looks like there's only us here. Okay, it's about the case investigation. A update of it, anyhow. Just in case the cops come back to question us about it." He started.

"The cops are sweeping off the hospital for evidence, right? It's part of the procedure. The place's pretty big, so it took a while for them to get everything in check." Kuroko nodded. He wondered where this was going. A pair of red eyes drifted off to the empty space. "The police found out that there were a few rooms that were burnt down. More specifically, a few of the hospital's laboratories."

That got his attention. "What? But the fire was a deception. There wasn't supposed to be a real one."

"That's what I said, too." He said.

"Just today, the forensic result came out. It suggested the fire had multiple sources, using flammable chemicals found in the rack of the lab itself — spread around like gasoline. Someone purposely set them on fire, but nobody knows specifically the exact time of the burning. The hospital staff and patients testified that the fire alarms went off, so the police figured that was the cause, or that someone was trying to get rid of evidence."

"Get rid of evidence? Someone under Former Director's order?"

"Maybe. Akashi said there's no need for us to testify because we don't know anything about it anyway, but something's bothering me. One of the lab rooms that got burned … was the West Building's basement." Kagami's lips tightened into a slit. "I remember a while ago, Takao asked me if I knew there was a basement in that building. I don't know, it's a vague lead, and it's probably nothing. But … he was looking for something — something the Former Director took from Midorima. He was pretty bent on finding it."

Kuroko unconsciously swallowed, he was reminded of Midorima's strange behaviour the other day.

"… are you suggesting that Takao-kun … was the arsonist?"

"It's a wild guess. There's no real evidence he did it." The redhead sighed and kneaded his neck. "But, even if he did, I wouldn't blame him. That's for sure. But the cops can't know. They won't get it."

If the police knew Takao was the one who got rid of the evidence, he could be charged with obstruction of justice and arson. It made sense, Midorima had acted strangely because he was trying to protect him. Kuroko realised. Takao wasn't a witness and he didn't have a direct connection to the case, the police wouldn't think of him as a suspect, would they?

"Then, we mustn't speak of this in front of anyone else." Kuroko uttered, softly. There were enough damages the case had left them to deal with. For Midorima and Takao to be dragged in more than necessary — he didn't want that.

Nobody in the room objected.

—

Kuroko had contacted the clinic of the therapist his doctor recommended, and scheduled a Saturday morning appointment.

Looking at the calendar, he noticed Kagami would be discharged in the same day, as he had marked the date with a red circle. Come to think of it, he had been visiting the hospital a lot recently, yet he hadn't seen any of his school mates and the Seirin Team due to his condition. He'd heard from Kagami and Furihata they'd visited once or twice, but Kuroko kept missing them because they'd visited in the evening, after practice — he usually had gone home by then, by his mother's urging.

Kuroko was feeling much better than previously. His wounds were almost completely healed and the doctor suggested him not to be too cooped up at home. Officially, he was given a week off by the school to recover. But it didn't mean he couldn't drop by.

"Maybe I should go visit them today." He mumbled softly, turning to Nigou. "What do you think, Nigou? Do you want to go to Seirin with me?"

Nigou's answer was to bark energetically, wagging his tail and ran around in circles three times. Kuroko took that as a 'yes'.

He informed his mother where he would be going, in which she remarked not to go for too long — which she always reminded him, possibly afraid that Kuroko would go missing again. He promised her he would be back before dinner. In the end, his mother let Kuroko go with Nigou as his bodyguard, leash in hand.

However, he couldn't bring Nigou along with him to ride the train. Kuroko had to use his allowance to book a cab.

During the cab ride, he actually felt a little nervous. He hadn't seen his teammates in a while. He had heard from the others that his name was everywhere on the news (but his face remained in mosaic), and he'd wondered whether it would affect his school life or his teammates would think different of him now that everything's out, including his true identity. Nigou looked at him and licked his face once, when Kuroko frowned at the pessimistic thought.

He couldn't help but to feel this way, things felt so different now after he'd been abducted. His whole perception about himself and the amount of efforts he had to make just to feel normal again, to fit in — it was unnerving. Kuroko did not want for his Seirin teammates to see him like strangers saw him; the Arctic Fox. The Endangered Species. The Premium Retrograde.

So many titles he hadn't wanted.

The last period was still in session when he arrived. Kuroko checked his watch. It looked like it would take around half an hour until school ended and club practice started. He pondered for a minute, before Kuroko decided to go to the gym and wait for the guys to come in.

The gym was empty when he got there. The steel mesh basket were full of orange balls, some of which were scattered around the court. Someone hadn't been tidying up properly, he thought, his shoes were making the room echo with the sounds of footsteps. Nigou followed him by his side, looking excited with his tongue out and tail wagging. Kuroko looked around and breathed in the smell of old floorings, the rubber of the balls and the hints of sweat mingling in the air. It felt so nostalgic.

Kuroko sat on a wooden bench on the side, while Nigou ran around the court, playing with the stray basketballs and chasing them.

He absently watched Nigou as he waited, the clock ticking by the second.

A while later, he perked up when he heard the sounds of familiar voices chatting and footsteps, the gym door creaked open. The first person to enter the room was Riko, who didn't notice him at first — busy talking with someone behind her — until she turned her eyes forward, then she froze, eyes staring at him.

Kuroko stood up automatically, but didn't know what to say. The female coach looked surprised, eyes blinking.

A second person, Izuki, appeared on her side. "Riko? What are you doing standing in the middle of — " He paused, sight making a beeline towards Kuroko. "Wha — Kuroko!?"

Before either of them could say anything else, Riko suddenly burst into tears. Kuroko was stunned and apparently so was Izuki, staring wide-eyed at her, when she started sobbing. Then Riko took off towards Kuroko, tears dribbling down her jaw. Kuroko didn't quite expect it when she wrapped her arms around him, crying into his shoulder.

"Idiot!  _We were so worried!_ Why didn't you say anything!? You could've called!" She yelled, hitting him with her fists — it didn't hurt. It hit much deeper into Kuroko's core, when he took in the sight of Riko, cheeks flushed and wet, her nose red, sniffling. A sense of guilt rose from within him.

"I'm — I'm sorry. Riko-Senpai."

He didn't know what to say, other than to apologise.

Hyuuga came into the gym next to Izuki, the latter had to explain what happened before the Seirin Captain exploded from the sight of Riko in Kuroko's arms. Kuroko brought her to sit on the bench and consoled her until she stopped crying, the other seniors stood by them as he did. Meanwhile Nigou had stopped playing and came over, licking Riko's fingers. She finally smiled a little and petted the Husky.

"Glad you look alright." Hyuuga said, crossing his arms over his chest. He had a concerned frown plastered over his face. "The last time we seen Kagami, he's in a bad condition. Furihata, too. I wasn't sure what happened to you, other than what they told us."

"I wasn't hurt badly. Kagami-kun and Furihata-kun … they weren't so lucky." He answered.

" … really? Seems to me, you're not much better either. You look thin." The Captain pointed out, eyes going up and down to inspect Kuroko.

"You got a week off, right? As a Captain I'm going to allow you leeway until you've recovered properly. I know there's the Spring Tournament to worry about, but I'm not letting injured people representing my team. No practice until the doctor said you can play, otherwise, you're staying on the bench. Is that okay, Riko?" He turned to Riko, who was being entertained by Nigou.

She nodded. "Kuroko, you can come to our gym if you need physical rehabilitation. Kagami and Furihata too. My dad can be your trainer. You can get yourself checked out."

"I — yes, Senpai. I will do as you instructed." Kuroko obediently agreed.

"They were really worried, you know?" Izuki placed a hand over his shoulder, smiling. "Imagine the panic when he learned you got kidnapped. Coach and Hyuuga wouldn't let the team practice and sent us out to look for you guys, of course we couldn't find you but we tried. Our Ace and his partner, gone. Furihata too. It was chaos." He chuckled.

Kuroko felt bad for making them worry. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you sooner."

"Don't worry about it. Though, are you really okay to be outside? I heard from Kagami the media's been hounding you."

"Well, they won't notice since my presence is weak. I can move around undetected if I put effort into it." And they hadn't reached his house yet, oddly enough. He suspected Akashi might have something to do with it.

The seniors looked stunned.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that!" Izuki cracked a smile, which grew to be a laughter. Hyuuga followed suit, cackling openly. Riko tried to cover her mouth, her shoulders shaking. Kuroko couldn't find what was so funny about that, so he opted silence.

"Aaah, good old Kuroko." Izuki wiped away a tear. "I'm so glad you're alright. That's the most important."

Kuroko tried to hold back the sudden rush of heat that gathered behind his eyes, in truth, he was glad that nobody tried to bring up the subject of his lineage. Which he appreciated greatly. "Thank you, Izuki-Senpai."

The rest of the team came in later on. Koganei, Tsuchida and Mitobe were the second batch to greet Kuroko with enthusiasm, the former quite practically bounced to him and gave him a hug, in which he urged Mitobe and Tsuchida to do the same. They ended up having a group hug that made Kuroko blush in embarrassment, although he wasn't opposed to the friendly gesture. It was even more awkward when Izuki and Hyuuga jokingly joined them, shocking the rest of the first years when they stepped into the gym for practice.

Kuroko watched the practice on the side with Riko, occasionally commenting and helping the Coach assess their training match. It had been a while. He was eager to help out, wanted to play himself, but knew he still had to fully recover, or Hyuuga wouldn't let him get in the court.

"How's Kagami? Is he recovering well?" Hyuuga flopped down next to Kuroko, outfit soaked through from over an hour of practicing. They got fifteen minutes of break. Koganei was drinking water vigorously next to Kuroko, while Izuki was wiping his face with a towel. Riko was displeased by something the First Years did, so she told them to give her a hundred push-ups each.

"Kagami-kun will be discharged this Saturday around afternoon." Kuroko told him. "The doctor said he'll still have to be careful and not do exerting physical activities in the mean time, but he can rest at home."

"This Saturday, huh." Hyuuga rubbed the underside of his chin. Two seconds later, a grin grew on his lips, flashing his teeth. "How about we do a surprise party for him?"

Kuroko blinked. "A surprise party?"

The Seirin Captain nodded. "To commemorate his discharge from the hospital, of course. Izuki. Koga. What do you think? Should we plan a party?"

The other seniors looked at each other — Koganei looked like he was immediately into the plan, but Izuki hesitated for a bit. "As long as we aren't letting Coach cook the food, I'm game." He whispered, a hand covered his mouth. He threw a wary glance at Riko, who was currently watching over the First Year doing their push-ups.

Koganei pumped a fist up in the air. "I totally agree! Let's party!"

Kuroko couldn't really reject the plan when the whole team was getting pumped up with the idea of planning a surprise party for Kagami — he could only smile as he looked at their enthusiasm. Kuroko couldn't wait to be playing basketball with the whole team again, with Kagami and Furihata in the mix.

After ending the practice early, everyone gathered around to plan the surprise party for Kagami. They agreed to sneak into his apartment later in the morning, set up the place and wait until Kuroko brought Kagami in. He was exempted from the preparation for being one of the victims, so Kuroko was tasked in making sure he dragged him at the right time and getting Kagami's spare key. He was a bit concerned what the Seirin team would do to Kagami's flat, but otherwise agreed to it.

Furihata supposed to be discharged later that day, so they could convince the brunette to join in on the scheme. Fukuda offered to call Furihata to inform him of the plan.

Kuroko left and went home a little later than his supposed curfew, his mother scolded him for it, but she wasn't too hard on him — she understood that Kuroko needed to see his friends again. She sighed, smiled and hugged him after the scolding.

"At least you're looking more energetic now." She whispered, the soft stroke on his back made Kuroko felt better.

On Saturday, Kuroko managed to get Kagami's spare key (hidden in the mailbox) and gave it to the team before he went to the therapist's clinic with his mother, for the morning appointment.

The tryout session was a fairly short one. The therapist started with an explanation of Post-Traumatic Stress to his mother, informed her of the symptoms and the ways to treat it, which she did so slowly and informatively. His mother listened to her quietly, occasionally asked him whether he had the symptoms because she hadn't noticed much changes in Kuroko. He had to admit everything, including the nightmares and the anxiety. She had gasped in surprise — her eyes welling up with tears.

The therapist patiently offered consolation for her. They resumed the introductory session, which Kuroko found to be quite soothing. She informed him the sessions would mostly consist of consultations, to work through the problems and learn how to cope with intrusive memories. She suggested to bring along his mother for each session in order to assist the healing process, starting with the family.

They finished early, a little over 11 A.M. Kuroko went to see Kagami later that day.

The redhead was already dressed up with a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, he sat next to a pair of crutches laid against the side of the bed .His suitcase was packed up neatly. Furihata's bed was empty as he was discharged the day before. Himuro and Murasakibara were in the room.

"Kuro-chin. Morning." Murasakibara greeted.

"Hey, Kuroko. Taiga's been waiting for you." Himuro said, smiling. "We're here to say goodbye."

"Are you going back to Yosen today?" Kuroko asked. Now that Murasakibara was well enough, both of them could go back to Akita.

"We were planning to go home once Taiga's alright. The Coach must be fuming right now, because technically I'm playing hookey to accompany Atsushi — eventually, we need to go back to school and club practice." The oldest of them told him, chuckling.

Kagami snorted derisively. "Seriously, you could've gone back earlier for all I care. My eyes wouldn't have gotten spoiled by you guys making out."

"Now, now. Taiga. That's not very nice, I've looked after you all this time and I even dressed you up nicely when Kuroko's mom came to visit." Himuro seemed mildly amused, folding his arms.

The purple-haired giant tilted his head. "Kaga-chin used my hair mousse."

Kagami had blushed furiously at the revelation, vehemently denying all accusations pointed at him. "Bastards, just go away. Shoo!" He waved his hand his dismissal, cheeks red.

"Don't mind if we do." Himuro laughed, beckoning Murasakibara to come with him. "I'll contact you once we arrive in Akita, Taiga." Then they left the room, after biding goodbye to both of them.

"Geez. I can't believe this." Kagami scratched his neck, fuming. Kuroko sniggered, which prompted a half-smile from the redhead. "How's the therapy? Did it go well?" He asked softly, taking a hold of Kuroko's hand.

"It went rather well. I wouldn't really know, it's my first time going to counselling. But the doctor is nice." He told him. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Riko-Senpai said you should consider getting rehabilitation with her dad, Kagami-kun. With Furihata-kun as well."

"From yesterday? Yeah, I'm thinking about it."

"Momoi-san texted me the other day for some recommendations, but I think Coach Aida would be the best option since we know him personally."

Momoi and Aomine had visited his home once, but they hadn't been showing up much in the hospital due to school. Midorima and Takao were probably back to Shuutoku, so were Kise and the others, since the investigation had gone smoothly. Nearly everyone had returned back to their homes and school life.

"I agree. It's closer to school too. I want to get back to practice ASAP." Kagami picked up the crutches and got off the bed. Kuroko encircled one arm around the redhead's waist for support, he was going to be the one bringing the redhead's luggage. "You ready?" He asked, grinning.

Kuroko smiled. "Yes."

Akashi sent them a car for them to use on the day of his discharge. Kagami hadn't wanted to make a big deal out of it, out of concern that would attract unwanted attention towards Kuroko. Even though the press had been fairly quiet recently, focusing more on the results of the case investigation rather than chasing the victims since the day of the press conference. Just as a precaution, though, Akashi suggested using his car one last time.

"My mom wants to meet you." Kagami suddenly said, as they were riding the vehicle. He was staring at the front, crutches laid on his lap, scratching the tip of his nose shyly with one finger.

"Your mom? Why?" Kuroko repeated. He knew Kagami's parents were in town, but he hadn't the chance of seeing them, because apparently they'd been working on the case to get justice for the victims. Kuroko spent most of his time at home, so he'd missed the timing of their visits.

"You know  _why_. You're my mate and we're s - serious. So naturally, I told her all about you. To my dad too." The redhead flushed almost as red as his hair, turning to him.

"There's also the thing about your current status. You'd be officially registered as Arctic Fox Endangered Species. Because you're still underage and your parents are Primates, they're offering to take you under our household's protection. In short, they'd be some sort of benefactor for you. They'll take care of the papers. You'll receive an official summon when everything's finished. Of course, they need your parents' consent for that, first."

"I haven't heard of such a thing." Kuroko remarked, a little baffled. He remembered the one who did his official registration was his grandmother — as a dog light seed of a common breed. Now that wasn't true anymore, the documents would need to be updated, would it? He'd be officially known as an Arctic Fox and an Endangered Species. Kuroko fell silent.

Kagami put a hand over his own. "Don't worry about it, it's just formal business. Nothing'll change much, except you'll get a set of privileges for being an Endangered Species."

"I'll be put under surveillance."

Just like Kise, he grimly thought.

He saw his jawline tightened. "Yeah. It can't be helped. You're the last of your kind in Japan."

Kuroko looked down, squeezing Kagami's hand.

"I guess … as long as it doesn't bother my life with Kagami-kun and Seirin … I don't mind."

Kagami leaned to kiss the crown of his head. "I know, Kuroko."

Kuroko forced a shaky smile at Kagami, masking the anxiety beneath.

Before they arrived, Kuroko had sent a text to warn the Seirin team of their arrival. He'd received a reply from Hyuuga which cited they were ready any time. Kuroko was curious what they'd done to the place, being exempted from the preparation of it. He was excited to find out. Kagami was oblivious. They paid for the cab and rode the elevator, the redhead sneaked a kiss or two inside of the empty room, for the lack of actual privacy throughout the week.

Kuroko pushed him off — not that he didn't want to have some alone time with Kagami, but he didn't want to look like he was blushing with wet lips, and spoiling the fun of the surprise party. "Not here. Not now." He urged, taking Kagami's arm in his, to leave the elevator when it had reached their destination. The redhead looked disappointed but obliged, after all, they'd have plenty of time for later.

He unlocked the front door for Kagami, heart pounding with anticipation.

Once the door opened, he noticed the room was dark. Kuroko ushered Kagami in first, before taking the luggage past the threshold. Just as Kagami's hand shuffled through the walls for the light switch, Kuroko had closed the door behind him — the light went on with a flip of the switch, then resounding yells of multiple sources simultaneously emerged in unison.

" _SURPRISE!_ "

His eyes were blinded, ears deafened for a fraction of second when loud cracks and pops followed suit. Suddenly, Kagami was covered in colourful ribbons and square-shaped paper cutouts — and he saw a huge hand-drawn decorated foam board with "CONGRATULATION ON YOUR RECOVERY" written on it in shiny red glitters, triangle-shaped banners of multi-colors were attached to the ceilings, along the walls of the living room. Half of the Seirin team were wearing party hats. There were even balloons.

In fact, the whole scene looked like the birthday party of a ten year old.

Kagami was clearly stunned, facing the group of highschool boys and a girl who were grinning from ear to ear, meanwhile the redhead just stood there frozen. Hyuuga was the first to step up, slapping a hand to his shoulder. "Too surprised? Well, that's kind of the point." He laughed.

The redhead looked at him, gaping. "Hyuuga-Senpai…"

Hyuuga leaned closely to whisper, Kuroko just barely heard what he said. "Glad to have you back, Ace." He said. "We're expecting you to recover quickly enough for the Spring Tournament."

Kagami visibly gulped.

"Guys, guys! What are you doing there? Let's get the party started!" Koganei whined, holding up a can of drink that looked suspiciously like beer. There were plates of chinese takeouts laid on the table in the living room, seemingly edible. Maybe they really did prevent Riko from cooking up something terrible.

"Have a seat, Kagami. You're the main attraction here. Hyuuga, forget about practice for a moment, would you? It's his party. Let him relax." Izuki approached them, effectively pulling Kagami towards the couch. "You too, Kuroko. Come on." He added.

Kuroko obliged, taking a seat next to Kagami as the rest of the Seirin team made a circle around the living room table. Furihata sat next to Kuroko, giving him a sheepish smile. He had looked much better now. Kuroko returned the sentiment. By then, the brunette didn't need to use the crutches to walk anymore.

"There's not much 'cos it's pretty sudden. We ended up getting everything from kids' party shop." Izuki chuckled. "Mitobe helped prepared some of the food, most of it are takeouts though."

"I wanted to cook too, but these guys said there's no time for that." Riko said and pouted, crossing her arms. "What a load of bull!"

" … Riko, please. Kagami needs to heal, not the opposite…"

Kagami was all grins and faint blushes. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

Apparently some of the boys were able to smuggle some beers into the party, which, after a few cans, Kagami confiscated on the grounds of not wanting them drunk off their asses and passed out on the floor like that one night after winning Winter Cup. He was the one who had to clean up the mess they'd left in his flat. The majority of the seniors were protesting at first, but couldn't very well back up their argument since it was Kagami's house.

So each of them was restricted to one can of beer, no more than that. Kuroko wasn't used to beer, drinking it sip by sip, slowly. It tasted bitter.

Everyone chatted, joked and laughed. The seniors occasionally 'accidentally' slapped their hands onto Kagami's back, causing the redhead wince every time and biting back a scream. They declared it was payback for making them worry to death, what with suddenly disappearing on them for days. The redhead was forced to endure their teasing. Even Kuroko got dragged into it, being treated like a kidnapped princess waiting for Plumber Kagami to save him. It was humiliating, yet he couldn't help but laugh at the references to the video games characters.

The party ended in the evening.

Everyone cleaned up the remains of the party before they left. "You're coming back to school right? See you guys next Monday!" Koganei waved at them.

"Kagami, Kuroko. Make sure you'll come early for morning practice! Bakagami still needs to rest, but I won't let him slack off!" Riko warned, wagging a warning finger at them. "Kagami can stay in the bench and I'll ask dad about the kinds of light exercises you can do in the mean time."

"G - got it, Coach." Kagami had stiffly said.

"Of course. Thank you for today, Riko-Senpai."

Kuroko and Kagami saw the Seirin Team off until they disappeared behind the elevator's steel doors. Suddenly it was quiet again, Kuroko sighed contentedly. That was the most relaxed he'd been all week, being with Seirin and Kagami, as if nothing bad had ever happened. "Our seniors were really worried about us." He remarked, softly. "Riko-Senpai cried when I went to visit them. I felt bad."

"So did I. We both made them worry." Kagami replied, taking Kuroko's hand and squeezing it. "It's getting late. Are you staying over for the night?"

"Yes. I've got my mom's permission." He'd told his mom he'd be staying at Kagami's place. Due to her growing fondness of Kagami, she had been quick to give her permission.

"Great. We're finally alone." As soon as the door closed behind them, Kagami leaned in to kiss Kuroko. "I'm glad our friends are around, but I wanna spend time with you. In private."

Kuroko blushed. He tiptoed to peck Kagami's lips. " … me too."

The living room floors were swept, the dishes were washed, Kagami's parents were staying in a hotel at downtown Tokyo — they really had the place all for themselves. Such a thing was a luxury for them. Soon they'd be busy with school, practice, Kagami's rehabilitation and Kuroko's therapy. Not to mention, the abduction case. It had been fairly quiet, but he didn't think the peace would last for long.

According to Akashi and Aomine, the investigation had progressed very smoothly and soon the court would summon the Former President Daichi, where he'd receive his just punishment. Akashi predicted around 20 to 30 years in prison without bail, for the accumulated charges and evidence. They were going to be called in as witnesses to the crime, which meant there would also be media exposure. Kuroko's name was already plastered everywhere, he wondered if it was only about time until someone got a clear shot of his face — for everyone to see.

But that would be a problem for another day.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagami brushed a stray strand away from his face, gazing down at him. Both of them were lying on Kagami's bed, lazily staring at the ceilings.

"The future." Kuroko replied, shifting his attention from the ceiling to Kagami.

"I'm wondering what's going to happen next. In the past few weeks, I've seen and experienced so many things. For the better and for worse, I don't know. The case. Furihata-kun. Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san. Aomine-kun, Takao-kun and Midorima-kun. And — " He paused, looking up into Kagami's eyes to look for an answer. The crimson pools stared back at him, displaying a reflection of himself.

"I'm wondering what's going to happen to me. I — I don't know what the future holds for me. I still have to attend the therapy, get used to school again and about my … status." He held his breath, finding the thoughts of it were making him uncomfortable.

"Nobody can know for sure. It's not only you, Kuroko." Kagami ran a hand over his hair, stroking in a slow pace. "The only things we can do are to learn from the past, do our best in the present and prepare for the future. We are all in the same boat."

Kuroko clenched his eyes shut.

"I know." He whispered. His voice sounded shakier than he'd intended. "But … I'm scared. Kagami-kun. What if something bad happens in the future? To me, to you or to someone close to us? When I think of that, I — I can't help but to feel afraid. For us, for them. I don't know why."

Kagami didn't reply immediately, his gaze momentarily stilled. He seemed thoughtful.

" … well, if that's what you're worried about. I have a suggestion, it's probably not the best thing, but that's all I can offer you right now." His caresses were gentle, reassuring. Kuroko opened his eyes to see Kagami smiling down at him. "Let's face it together. That way it's not that scary, right? The two of us. Your future will be mine, and my future will be yours. We'll face it together."

"My future will be … yours." Kuroko blinked in slight confusion.

The redhead laughed. "Yeah, and mine, is yours. We're gonna be together always, anyway. So, let's merge them."

Kuroko fell silent.

"Kagami-kun is so cheesy." He blurted out.

A blood vein popped in Kagami's head, his strokes came onto a sudden halt. His features abruptly scrunched up. "Ugh, god. You're awful." He sighed deeply, and ran a hand over his face, seemingly disappointed. "And I was just being — "

He had no time to finish his sentence, because Kuroko had risen up, pushing the other boy down against the mattress, straddling his hips and kissing him. He took Kagami's lips into his. The redhead was taken aback, blinking his eyes — he hadn't quite understood what was happening, so he didn't respond to his kiss. Kuroko broke it off, withdrawing slightly.

"Kagami-kun is cheesy. But I don't dislike it." He whispered against Kagami's lips, a hand went up and down Kagami's chest, slow and unhurried. The room, the bed and Kagami beneath him — they emitted such a delicious scent, it made Kuroko lose a little bit of self-control. He descended again, kissing Kagami a second time, careful not to put his weight on top of the other boy.

This time, Kagami reacted properly.

He groaned vigorously, tilted his head and devoured Kuroko's mouth, eager. His hands went down to glide over his thighs, rubbing up to his hips and going behind, kneading his ass. Kuroko let out a soft moan and Kagami took advantage of it to push his tongue deeper, licking the insides of his mouth and sucking the tender flesh he'd found there. Heat had started building up, especially down in the southern region of his body, some of which went up to his face.

"Aah … hmmm." Kuroko jerked slightly when Kagami bucked his hips upwards, colliding against his crotch, creating a wonderful friction.

"Kagami-kun…"

Kagami's hands snaked under his shirt, running up his chest and pulling at a nipple. The pleasurable sting reached his cheek, causing him to shudder. "Mmm, Kuroko … " He breathed, lips trailing down his neck. Kuroko felt the wet warmth of Kagami's tongue and the sharpness of his teeth, biting and nipping on the thin layer of skin, sometimes sucking. He was leaving his marks on Kuroko, and it felt arousing, exciting. The musks of their combined pheromones were making him dizzy.

"Haa…" He clenched his eyes shut, enjoying the sensation Kagami was giving him.

Soon it was becoming too hot. He was sweating and his jeans was too tight.

"Too hot." Kuroko tried to say, withdrawing to strip his shirt off. Kagami watched him closely, his eyes drunk the sight of Kuroko's exposed bare skin. Kuroko was topless on top of Kagami, breaths labouring and eyes glazing with lust. He started tugging at Kagami's shirt, wanted a fair trade.

"Take it off." He demanded. Kagami merely chuckled, pushing himself up to let Kuroko pull the shirt over his head.

Kuroko always found the sight of Kagami's well-built body to be extremely arousing, after all, he'd worked so hard for the team. To bring them victory. He gazed at the well defined chest and abs, running his hands over the curves and hard lines, mapping every nook and cranny. He could feel himself getting harder, Kagami's grin was making him more excited.

"Like what you see?" He teased. "Sometimes I worry that you'd only go for my body, Tetsuya."

Kuroko blushed darkly. The name-calling from the redhead wasn't something he was used to, yet. "I don't only want your body…" He growled, snaking a hand down his jeans and into Kagami's boxer. The redhead's eyes snapped wide when Kuroko found the hardening shaft, wrapping his fingers around him. It felt a bit damp, especially at the tip.

"I want everything of Taiga-kun."

He started pumping Kagami, finding it hard to do so with the jeans on. Kuroko frowned, he used his other hand to unbutton and unzip the jeans, making it easier for him to pump Kagami's dick now that it was freed. But it was huge — he had slight difficulty in grabbing the length properly to set a steady pace.

"Shit — "

He heard Kagami gasp, gritting his teeth. He was breathing raggedly. It looked like his clumsy movement felt good for the redhead, he was twitching and becoming harder in Kuroko's hand, standing to full attention. Kuroko licked his lips. He watched as the shaft grew flushed and leaked more of fluid at the slit of the head, making it easier for him to stroke, down to the base of his cock and upwards towards the slick head.

Kagami bucked up against his hand, but a hand halted him "W - wait. Stop." Kagami said, flashing a set of predatory eyes at him. "I want to do yours too."

He shivered at the offer, unable to resist the temptation because Kuroko was growing needy for attention on his own dick. Kagami tugged at the hem of his jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping the front. He decided it would easier to just strip everything off, including Kagami's own. He stripped off his jeans and boxers first before assisting Kagami with his. Now both fully nude, they started kissing again, Kuroko hovered over Kagami, they were stroking each other, building the pleasure bit by bit.

"Hnnm… more…" Kuroko whined, he became breathless as Kagami's mouth went down to suck his nipple, one hand on his dick and another was playing with his backside, shallowly dipping his fingers in between the crack. They flicked against his hole every so often. His knees were buckling from the pleasure, his nails started to sharpen, tearing tiny holes into the sheets.

"Taiga-kun, more … " He moaned, nearly begging.

Kagami's grip on his hip tightened, his own nails digging into Kuroko's skin. He detached his mouth from his chest, smirking devilishly at Kuroko. Something about it sent chills up his spines. "Sadly, I can't move too much — doctor's orders, you see. So, Tetsuya, can you do the prep yourself?" His smirk widened. "I'll watch."

Kuroko swallowed.

"How — " He hesitated. "I don't know how to do it … myself."

"I'll show you. Don't worry."

What Kagami asked of him, was something he was still ashamed to do, but didn't refuse — after all, it was Kagami. He'd promised a reward for his mate. The redhead guided him. Because he had to watch for his injury, he opted to sit comfortably against the bed post, while Kuroko was on his hands and knees — his ass sticking up in the air. His face was laid over Kagami's thighs, just several inches from his erection. It was a very embarrassing pose, as Kagami could see everything in plain view.

"Are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable?" Came Kagami's voice from behind him, sounding concerned. Kuroko vaguely remembered the last time this sort of position had intimidated him too much that he'd refused it. But this time, it was just shameful. He wiggled slightly, taking deep breaths.

"I'm - I'm okay." Kuroko said. "Just a bit embarrassed."

A chuckle.

Kuroko flushed hotly. "Please don't laugh at me, Kagami-kun. It's rude."

"I'm not laughing at you. I thought that it's really adorable that you're doing this for me." Kagami ran his rough palms over the inner of his thighs, then something soft and warm pressed against his backside. He had a vague guess it was a kiss. "Alright, if you're okay with it, we're continuing. Give me your hand."

He obliged, outreaching his right arm towards the back. His shoulder sloped sideway from the lack of support. He heard some rustling noises and noticed Kagami was opening the top drawer of the nightstand, withdrawing what looked like a small bottle and a string of condom packets. A short moment later, he heard a click of the bottle's lid being uncapped. He felt his hand was grabbed, something cold and slimy poured onto it.

"You have to finger yourself. You know how to do it, right?" Kagami asked, spreading the lubricant all over Kuroko's fingers.

He gulped. "Yes…"

Kagami made a pleased sound of approval, taking his index finger and guiding his hand to the backside. Kuroko quietly blushed. He positioned his own digits to enter the hole, his mind remembering how Kagami usually did it for him. "Take it easy and slow. One finger in, first. Try to widen the rims." The redhead's voice instructed, he sounded calm, with tinges of growls.

Inhaling deeply, Kuroko prodded one finger in.

It felt strange at first, yet it wasn't entirely unfamiliar. His finger was surrounded by a gripping warmth. He could barely let in the tip, let alone the entire length. It had been a while, he thought. He was tighter. Kuroko realised he had to loosen himself up for Kagami, so he attempted to prod deeper. The slickness of the lube helped him achieve it. He circled the tip around, widening the entrance, then slowly inching deeper before circling around the muscles again. He repeated the process.

"That's it. Good. Take your time." He heard Kagami say, his voice low and hoarse.

Slowly but surely, the sensation and the memories of being filled started crowding his mind. Kuroko began taking in more of the finger, thrusting it in and pulling it out, repeatedly. The movement became smoother with each stroke, until there was enough space for something bigger. Instinctively, he added another digit. It was tight and hot, he was clenching in his own fingers, widening and scissoring from the inside.

"Aah, ah… Taiga-kun, oh …"

Clenching his eyes, Kuroko started gasping, his breaths were coming out short and uneven. His dick twitched animatedly, the muscles around the fingers gripped at him. He laid his face flushed against Kagami's thighs, the upper side of his body giving in to the pleasure. The fingers were slamming in and out quickly, fucking himself. He knew there was a sweet spot somewhere there that could relief him of the building pressure, but he couldn't find it. It was a little frustrating.

Sweat beaded on his temples, trickling down the side of his face. Kuroko was moaning shamelessly, putting on a show for Kagami to watch. He could feel the accumulated wetness dripping out of his asshole, down to the inner side of his thigh. It felt dirty, messy, yet if felt so arousing, Kuroko couldn't stop himself.

"Haa — !"

Before he knew it, Kagami had began touching himself, one hand reached for his dick and started pumping. "Fuck, you should see how you look right now." He heard the tiger growled, no longer holding onto his composure. He sounded wild, full with primal needs. "I want to fuck you so bad."

Kuroko shivered. He was very aware of how hard and big Kagami was, the sight of the redhead touching himself was strangely enticing. Kuroko purposely took out his fingers and let the excess of the lubricant trickle out of him. He shook his hips enticingly, looking over his shoulder with half-lidded eyes.

"Do whatever you want, Taiga-kun. Fuck me, finger me, lick me … anything." He uttered, releasing more of his pheromone to seduce the tiger.

"… don't be regretting those words later."

A pair of strong hands grabbed his hips, forcing Kuroko's whole body to move back. He gasped loudly when he felt a familiar sensation of a lively, wet flesh pushing into his asshole. In that moment, his mind  _scattered_  with pleasure so intense it nullified the thought of anything else.

"Aah,  _aah_! Taiga-kun, wait — " But Kagami didn't wait, the tongue mercilessly moved inside of him, wiggling about, reducing him into incoherent babbles.

He couldn't move away because Kagami held him firmly, arms looping around his thighs. Kuroko could do nothing but being washed over by the pleasure, especially when the redhead started using his own fingers to touch that bundle of nerves that he couldn't find, shaking his whole body. "T - Taiga-kun, oh …" Kuroko couldn't take it anymore, he grabbed his own dick and started pumping desperately. He was close. So close.

In the end, he came first, spilling onto Kagami's chest. The murky white sprays were mixed with droplets of sweat, creating a watery mix.

Kagami gave him a minute to collect himself, mind still flaring with the first orgasm. Kuroko breathed in and out, deep and shallow, simultaneously. His limbs had turned to jelly, and he slumped on top of Kagami, hips still held up. He felt the tongue slip out of him, causing him to whimper.

"Are you okay?" Came a gentle question.

Truthfully, Kuroko's arms were sore from supporting his weight. He glanced over his shoulder, panting. "A bit … sore. My arms. This position is tiring."

"Alright. Let's change it. Come here." He released his hold on Kuroko.

They changed position, now Kuroko straddled Kagami on his lap, legs wrapped around the latter's waist. They were facing each other. Kuroko put his arms around his neck, a hand clutched the back of his head as they kissed, deeply and passionately. The redhead was stroking him to hardness again, another hand was on his backside, fingering his hole. It was still tight. "Is it good?" Kagami asked, their lips smacking against each other's.

"It's good… hmm. Good…" Kuroko mewled in between kisses, arching his back slightly.

He detached his mouth and moaned when the pace quickened, meanwhile Kagami had busied his lips with creating more marks on his shoulder. His neck was already full of them, there were thin scores of nails along his hips and thighs. Kuroko himself was clawing at Kagami's shoulders, occasionally leaving some hickeys on his neck. They were leisurely making all sorts of marks on their mate.

In no time, he was fully hard again. His hole was slack, loose enough to accommodate Kagami. Kuroko sighed, giving his lover a soft peck on the lips. "Taiga-kun, enter me. I'm ready." He urged, propping himself up, just over the redhead's standing erection.

Kagami returned the kiss with a more fervent one, taking his fingers out and gripping at the either side of Kuroko's hips. He'd put on the condom when they changed position. All he needed to do was to dive into Kuroko.

"I want to fuck you." Kagami whispered near his ear. "You're so sexy, Tetsuya … I want to do this everyday if I could."

Before he could reply, something much bigger and hotter than fingers entered him. Kuroko gasped, nails dug onto the blades of Kagami's shoulders, feeling the head going in past his rims, driving slowly into the core. "… uungh." There was a sting of dull pressure emerging from the depths, likely because it had been a while since they had sex. He inhaled sharply and tried to relax.

Kagami noticed his discomfort and stopped hallway, going in with a slower pace. "If it's painful, tell me. I'll stop." He said, eyes flashing golden with desire. Kuroko knew how hard it was to hold back at this point, when Kagami had become so hard inside of him.

"I'm okay. Just — give me a second." He breathed in and out, letting his nerves relax and his heart rate slow down. Kuroko leaned in and kissed Kagami, urging him to continue. "Do it slowly. It's been a while."

A nod was his answer.

Kagami inched in, until he was fully sheathed inside of Kuroko, then he paused, giving the latter a chance to get used to his size. Unlike his first time, Kuroko got used to it far quicker, once his body remembered the memories of Kagami driving into him and the pleasure it gave him. He could hear the beast growled animalistically in the back of his mind, then he gave a suggestive bounce, earning Kagami's lustful groan.

Kuroko chuckled devilishly and repeated the motion, setting a slow pace on his own.

"Saucy little fox…" Kagami growled, slender black stripes flickering over his skin.

He bucked up all of a sudden, the head of his cock hitting the exact same spot he'd been abusing with his fingers, making Kuroko see white. Kagami began to slide in and out of him from below, detaining his hips up for easier, smoother access. Kuroko had to use his knees to support his weight so his body wouldn't give in from the sharp jolts of pleasure Kagami slammed into him repeatedly.

He couldn't contain his voice, as it was growing louder and louder, his rationality swept away at once. "Haa — ! Taiga-kun! Aah, aah — " He clung to Kagami's shoulders tighter, eyes clenching shut. It felt good. Really good. The sensations were building up, fast and relentless. His crotch was heavy with pressure, his dick bobbing up and down with their pace, leaking at the tip. The smears glistened over Kagami's abs.

The sounds of skin slapping against skin echoed throughout the room, their moans and gasps filled the empty space. It was obscene, how loud Kuroko was being, but he couldn't help it. Kagami had always found ways to release his inhibitions, revealing the part of himself that he never knew existed.

"Tetsuya — fuck!" Kagami drove into him wilder, his movement became more erratic, uncontrollable. He thrust into Kuroko, faster and harder, brushing against that switch inside of him that made him squirm. He could feel more wetness trickling down his thighs, a mix of his own pre-come and something else.

Kuroko didn't even need to touch himself, he was so hard now, his dick flushed and his balls felt tight. Each time Kagami slammed hard into him, his knees buckled violently, growing weak. It was as if his entire body was created for the sole purpose of reaching the peak, his mind refused to think of anything else but of Kagami and the way he made Kuroko feel.

"Taiga-kun—  _aah_ , … so good — " He whispered his name into his ear, again and again. He knew how much Kagami loved it. He could feel him twitch animatedly inside, growing bigger and hotter. Kagami was close, and so was he. He was going to come a second time.

"I'm close." Kagami warned, his features twisted, still human but appearing more beastly.

Without warning, the redhead grabbed Kuroko's dick and stroked him. He snapped his eyes wide and threw his head back, spurting into Kagami's hand and soiling their stomachs. A few more thrusts and he felt Kagami shuddered inside of him, there was a surge of warmth without the feeling of wetness. Kagami stiffened momentarily, his shaft gave out short jerks before it started deflating.

Kuroko's chest was heaving up and down, lips parted to swallow the air quicker. His entire body was soaked with sweat, flushing with the leftover heat. Kagami rested his forehead against his shoulder, panting harshly. They took a few moments of refractory period to rest. He let out a soft sound when Kagami pulled out, the condom heavy with his come. Kuroko shuffled off of the redhead's lap, flopping down onto the mattress, too tired to move.

Kagami grinned and kissed him. He withdrew to pull a box of wet tissues from the nightstand, wiping his dick with a sheet of tissue after he'd taken off the soiled condom. He tied it up and tossed it at the trash bin nearby, along with the ball of tissue. Kuroko pulled a sheet of wet tissue to clean up.

After they'd tidied up, the both of them were too spent to shower, instead they washed their faces and changed clothes. Kuroko wore one of Kagami's shirts and a pair of boxers, he'd also borrowed a spare toothbrush. The latter was already waiting by the bed, shirtless and was stretching his limbs.

Kuroko sat on the bed next to him.

"Taiga-kun, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asked, concerned. Maybe sex was too soon, after all. Kagami could've been forcing himself too much. He stared at the large scars on Kagami's back, the flesh was pink and tender. It looked like it'd hurt to touch, despite having closed up completely.

Kagami looked at him, maybe he noticed Kuroko had gone pale with worry, which was why he quickly laughed it off. "It's nothing. Just a bit sore. I've been spending my time in bed and all. I gotta start exercising soon." He assured.

"… are you sure?" Kuroko wasn't convinced.

"Hey, I'm okay." He was pulled into Kagami's arms, ruffling Kuroko's already messy head. He flashed his teeth at him. "Don't worry so much. I'm pretty sturdy. Besides, even if it did hurt, it wouldn't stop me from having sex with you. I mean, I really,  _really_  wanted to. You have no idea." He said, in a totally serious manner.

Kuroko blushed at that. "Bakagami. You're not only an idiot, you're also a pervert … the worst combination." He grumbled, embarrassed.

Kagami huffed, looking annoyed. "And yet, you love this idiotic pervert." He joked.

"Yes. Indeed. It must be my luck."

"What — what did you say?" Kagami looked at him, eyes widened and mouth hung open, like he didn't expect Kuroko to seriously respond in such a way. "I could've sworn that you said — "

Kuroko blinked. "Yes. I merely agreed to what you've claimed, Taiga-kun, that I love you. Indeed, I do."

Kagami quite literarily exploded in red hot flush, a second later. "You — ! You could've just — " He stuttered, seemingly lost. He looked shocked, glad, mortified and disappointed all in the same time. So many emotions crossed his visage. "My god, I can't believe how you just blurted it out like that! Like it's nothing!" He settled with angry instead, still blushing inexplicably.

He didn't really understand why Kagami was blowing up. Then it occurred to Kuroko, that Kagami would be the type to wait until a certain mood was created, before he would confess to someone since he was secretly a romantic. He was probably expecting Kuroko to do the same, and yet he hadn't been sensitive enough to realise that.

"Ah. I'm sorry. That was awfully inconsiderate of me. Please forget everything I just said and act like it never happened." He said, attempting to retrace his mistake.

It seemed to have the opposite effect, however. "… huh!? Are you kidding me!?" Kagami was even angrier, instead. "You — ugh, forget it. I'm too tired for this." Abruptly, just as soon as his anger came, it vanished. He sighed heavily instead, disappointed, mumbling something incoherent by himself.

Meanwhile, Kuroko was at loss of words, unsure of what to do.

"Let's just sleep. Come on."

Kagami flopped onto the bed, then pulled Kuroko along with him, snuggling against him from behind. He pulled up the blanket to tuck in both of them. "I'm not mad, just so you know." He whispered softly. Kuroko tilted his head to look over his shoulder, Kagami was staring at him, gaze warm and loving. "I'm just — well, it's kind of hard to explain. I wanted to be the one to say it first, okay? Properly."

"But you've said it before." Kuroko said. "I haven't told you my reply."

"That didn't count. I wasn't really conscious back then. I wasn't planning on blurting it out that crudely." Kagami retorted, frustratedly running a hand up his hair. "I like you. I really,  _really_  like you. So I want everything to be perfect when I confess to you, but I just had to get these stupid wounds … "

Oh that was just silly, Kuroko thought.

He wiggled out of Kagami's hold to turn around, facing the redhead head-on. "It's not stupid, Taiga-kun. You're wounded because you protected me. It was brave of you. Please don't say it like that." He put a hand over Kagami's chest. He was about to say something, but Kuroko spoke sooner. " — and as far as I'm concerned. I don't need a big confession or anything dramatic like that. I like you, too. I really,  _really_  like you. The most important thing to me, is that you feel the same way as I do."

Kuroko inhaled.

"I love you, Kagami Taiga-kun. You're the only one I want to be with, right now and in the future."

Kagami stared at him, eyes wide and lips moving, but no sounds escaped him. Kuroko smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him. " … let's sleep. I'm quite tired. I promised my mom I'll be back home at noon tomorrow. Good night, Taiga-kun."

Kuroko didn't wait for a reply, shifting his position so his back was on Kagami again. He sighed contentedly. Kuroko was about to pull the blanket more snugly to his neck, when he was suddenly surrounded by a pair of strong arms, embracing him tightly from behind. His back had felt intensely warm.

"I love you." He heard Kagami say, in a tone that was barely above a whisper. "I love you, Kuroko Tetsuya. I want to be with you, now and in the future."

Kuroko held his breath.

"That's all I want to say. I'm … happy enough with this." Kagami's breath brushed against his ear. He looked over and saw him look at Kuroko, gentler than he'd ever been. His hold around Kuroko tightened. "Good night, Tetsuya."

He couldn't help but to smile, squeezing the arms that held him. He closed his eyes, lulled by the sense of comfort Kagami's warmth brought him. For once, maybe, tonight the nightmares would stay at bay — because right now, nothing could make Kuroko happier than this moment.

—

The next morning, they woke up next to each other.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes, was the sight of Kagami sleeping. He was unable to move because Kagami had a vice grip on him, so he was forced to stay immobile in the same position, staring blankly at the faint red stubbles on his chin. As he was shifting his sight at the slightly parted lips — the skin was dry and cracked — up at his dark lashes and the shades beneath his closed eyes, Kuroko realised this was the first time in a week that he'd slept through the night and into the morning without any nightmares.

How curious.

Idly, he trailed a finger along Kagami's cracked lips, lightly picking at the peeled skin he found there. For some reasons, he felt like laughing. Kagami Taiga the formidable Tiger, was so defenceless right now. Even if he decided to pull a prank on him, Kagami probably wouldn't be waking up. Not that he could, by the way, Kuroko was pretty much tied up at the moment. He had no choice but to wait until Kagami was awake.

He leaned closer, their lips almost touching.

" … maybe next time, I'll say it properly, the way you like it."

Kagami made a soft noise, the corners of his lips tugging up into a smile.

—

**The End.**

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Overtime Note:**
> 
> I've been thinking of what I want to say when I finally end this story, it's been such a long run! It had been tough, but it's worth it! Well, folks, thank you for bearing with me so far into the end of the story. The support has been amazing. Everything I've written is what I've wanted it to be. I know it's not perfect; I don't think I get all of the characters' portrayals right, I tweaked them to my own interpretation, or there's some weird stuff here and there (no, actually there are a lot). Some may not like how it turned out. But hey, I'm pretty damn satisfied with it!
> 
> KagaKuro is my ultimate OTP in KuroBasu, and I've delivered my own version of dedication to this pairing. The theme "Werebeasts" is something I've been into for a while. I've always loved the "Hybrid/Biologically-Diverse Races" concept in games, comics, films and etc. I'm fascinated with Sex Pistols manga with its potentials for development and the animalistic nature of A/O/B dynamics, so with that universe's established facts, my own understanding and some research put into the mix, thus  **Beastly Call** was born.
> 
> It's been a hella great fun ride for me! I don't think I'd ever do something as batshit insane as this for a long while! To those who've sent their loves and support to this story; thank you and I love you, too! No homo! ;-) That being said, this series will have some continuation in the form of spinoffs! Also the comics are gonna take a while, but I'll get to it. :D
> 
> Thank you for reading! See you next time. :-}
> 
> P.S.: Hey you, who's proposed to marry  **Beastly Call**! (You know who you are!) He's ready for you now. Go sweep him off his feet! xD
> 
> Love & Hugs,
> 
> TCon


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